Dead Mans Party
by Blue November
Summary: submission for the Tate Twins Halloween theme challange, Genre has changed! Dont hate me! Rated M for gore, sexual situations, and language.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my submission for the Tate Twins Halloween theme challenge. Hope you all like it!_

_By the by this takes place outside of any continuity I may have built up to this point._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the power rangers! However I just may dress up as one for Halloween…on second thought spandex is a privilege not a right…_

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"It all started on a dark and stormy night…"

"But Sky its not dark or stormy, in fact it's 2:00 in the afternoon."

"Bridge do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Okay sorry."

"Like I was saying…It all started on a dark and stormy night."

"Why can't any of these stories start on a bright sunny afternoon?"

"SYD!"

"Sorry Sky."

"Now if we're all done interrupting me…? Thank you. Getting back …It all started on a dark and stormy night. The group of teenage friends were just driving home from the party when all of a sudden, in the middle of the road, jumped a figure dressed in tattered clothes dripping wet from the rain. The driver tried to stop but it was no use the storm had made the roads slick. He tried to swerve but the car hydroplaned. With a sickening thud the car came to a stop on the side of the road. All of the teenagers jumped from the car and ran to the figure now laying in a heap on the pavement…"

"Sky I've already heard this one! They made it into a movie in the late '90's."

"Yeah you know I think Z's right I think this was a bad horror flick way back when…"

"Fine Jack if you think you can come up with better…"

"Oh I know I can."

"Ooh ooh Jack tell a story about zombies!"

"Bridge when it's your turn you can tell a story about zombies. My story is about… THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK HOLE!"

"God Jack not that story again."

"What Z? It's a good story!"

"Yeah that I've heard like fifty bazillion times!"

"Well just because you've heard it…"

"Okay here's how it goes…there's a creature from a black hole, he kills a lot of people, and then a hero who suspiciously resembles Jack finds a way to send the creature back from whence it came. The End."

"Z you suck."

"Better than you'll ever know."

"Will I ever get to know?"

"BRIDGE!"

"Sorry."

"Okay I've got one. On a bright and sunny afternoon there was this girl. She was cute and blond and nothing bad ever happened to her, mostly because she was blond and cute. No one ever wanted to hurt this cute and sweet, yet still strong and independent girl…"

"Can it Syd before I loose my lunch."

"I don't know, I think maybe Syd was on to something, I mean I was scared…terrified even…"

"Jaaaack!"

"OW!"

"My turn!"

"Here we go. Anyone got an extra five hours they don't mind wasting?"

"Sky!"

"Alright fine, it's your turn."

"Thank you. Okay so there were these zombies right? Well I think that maybe they actually preferred to be called vitally impaired, or was it animatedly challenged? Anyway there were these zombies and you had to watch out because if they bit you, you would become a zombie too. It had something to do with a virus carried in the saliva…although if they were dead I'm not really sure how they created saliva…You know what let me start over…There were these zombies!"

"Bridge! We don't have all night. We promised that we would take the kids from the local shelters trick or treating."

"Sorry Jack."

"Alright move over you wusses! It's MY turn."

"Oh man here we go…Z always tells the best stories. Every year you wouldn't believe how many people would show up to the shelter just to be scared senseless by one of her deranged tales."

"Thank you Jack."

"Credit where credit's due."

"Okay…There were these five friends, Cloud, Gateway, Melbourne, Johnson, and X. They where all on the same elite force of soldiers traversing the galaxy in search of the alien threat known as the Krumm. One day their commander Sphinx sent them to the mysterious planet Htrae, believed to be a major base of operation for the Krumm. Their mission was to infiltrate and destroy the Queen before she could create anymore Krumm soldiers. Little did they know not all of them would be making it back…"

"Wow Z real original."

"What Sky?"

"Cloud? Melbourne? X?"

"You're just upset because no one liked your story."

"You know what this was a stupid idea. Bridge was right."

"I was?"

"Yes. It's only 2 in the afternoon and everyone knows you can't tell a really good scary story until it gets dark out."

"Yeah we should be getting our costumes ready to take the kids out."

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_Ha! My first attempt at a story with chapters that's not Shifting Hearts I bet you all didn't think I could do it huh? I was becoming the one shot queen! Well no more! I promise that all the chapters of this story will be up before Halloween!_


	2. chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I still do not own the power rangers, not even a tiny bit! But I do like to carry around the action figures and pretend_…

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Z Delgado turned on the lights and the Rangers rose from their spots on the floor of the rec room.

"So who all is going to the costume party tonight?" asked Syd.

"Costume party?" Sky raised an eyebrow in the Pink Rangers direction.

"Yes costume party! Some of the D squad cadets convinced the Commander that we should have more social functions at the academy, you know mix the squads up a bit, let everyone get to know each other?"

"Sounds like a lame excuse for teammates to fraternize which, according to SPD rules and regulations section 46 G rule 3A, No cadet shall become romantically involved within their squad less they and their significant other be transferred to other teams."

"Oh come off it Sky!" Z glared.

"What? It's the rules."

"You know that Kruger doesn't really care as long as it doesn't affect our performance as individuals or as a team." She countered.

"You guys are hopeless!" Syd threw her hands up in the air in frustration with her teammates. Here was a genuine chance to have fun and they had to clutter it up with rules and regulations and stupid petty fights.

"So uh…do we need to have dates or something to go to this?" Bridge asked timidly.

"Well you could have a date if you wanted to Bridgey but it's not a pre-requisite or anything." Syd smiled when she saw Bridge look nervously in the Yellow Rangers direction. "You know Bridge, " She said quietly to him, "I bet if you asked her she would say yes." The Green Ranger nodded absently, his palms already starting to sweat just at the thought of asking Z out on a date.

"Bridge!" He turned to the sound of his roommate calling his name. "Come on we've got to get ready." With that Bridge wandered off in the direction of his room, leaving the Pink Ranger by herself, but not for long.

Silently Jack slid up behind Sydney and brushing her hair aside whispered into her ear

"So do you have a date Miss Drew?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't." she toyed with him. "I guess you'll just have to come and find out." Turning around she gave him her best magazine cover smile before bouncing off to her room to get ready for the evening.

"Jack what do you even see in her?" Z questioned the Red Ranger.

"Come on Z! What isn't there to see? Especially when she wears those little leather mini skirts…"

His self-adopted little sister smacked him upside the head, violently shaking him from his daydream.

"What are you jealous? Cant stand to see me gawking at other women?" Jack teased.

"Eeeew! Gross! We've only known each other for how long? You're my brother Jack that would be like …incest. Yuck." The Yellow Ranger made an awful face.

"So how about you and Bridge? Do I have anything I should be jealous about?" Z's face began turning a fantastic shade of pink that nearly matched Syd's uniform.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied hurriedly

"Uh huh sure you don't." he poked her playfully in the ribs." You think I don't see the way he looks at you all the time? Or the way you look at him when you think no one else notices? I see it Z…Big Brother sees all…." Due to lack of verbal response Z simply punched him in the arm.

"Ow! Hey what the hell was that for?" Z's only explanation was to stick out her tongue before joining Syd in their room to get ready.

"Well that's just great." Jack complained to the empty room, before retreating to his own quarters.

_Z and Bridge! Syd and …Jack! What madness is this?! My madness thank you very much! I'm not sure why but for some reason I just really don't like the pairing of Syd and Sky (this even started out as Syd and Sky but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.) Maybe it's the fact that they both only have 3 letters in their name. Or maybe it's because I'm just not a huge fan of Syd. All that blond hair and blue-eyed cuteness on someone who **knows it **tends to trigger my gag reflex. Anyway I tend to prefer Sky with Z but I also enjoy Bridge with Z and (oh my god!) Sky with Bridge! However since this is for the Tate Twins and I know that they are not huge fans of slash but are big fans of Bridge and Z, poor Sky will just have to be lonely…unless I feel gracious enough to bless him with an original character to be with…thinking…thinking…thinking…we'll just have to see…_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I think maybe I was in that poker game in which BoxerThief lost the rights to power rangers and her lamp…I wasn't able to win the rights to power rangers, but I did get your lamp back! And I **almost **won Matt Austin……stupid card counters……I demand a rematch! Oh and BoxerThief you can come get your lamp whenever is most convenient for you _

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In the shared room of the Green and Blue Rangers…

Two roommates were having a heated discussion.

"But Sky why should it matter if I want to ask Z to the party?"

"Chances are Bridge that she'll be there anyway…"

"Yeah but if I ask her she'll be there with me."

"You didn't let me finish, not only will she already be there but if you ask her to go with you as your date you'll be in violation of regulation 46G rule 3A…

"No cadet shall become romantically involved within there squad, blah blah blah ….so what?

"So we are more than just cadets now Bridge we're Rangers and as such should be setting examples for the lower cadets."

"You know what? You're just jealous because you have no one to ask! Jack's going to ask Syd and I'm going to ask Z but who does that leave you? That's it isn't it?"

"I refuse to answer such a childish question."

"Because you know I'm right!"

Sky turned on Bridge with a look that screamed murderous intent.

"You know what Bridge? Go ahead, ask Z! See if I care!" and with that Sky stormed from the room refusing to look back and see the hurt look on his best friends face.

"Sky wait! I'm sorry…" But it was too late the Blue Ranger was already halfway down the hallway and turning the corner.

Meanwhile in the girls room…

"So Z?" Syd started out "anyone in particular you'd like to go to the party with?"

Syd figured if Bridge was going to finally get up the nerve to ask Z out, the least she could do was butter her up for him (excuse the pun), get a feel for what her answer might be, because if the answer was going to be no she would have to stop him right away. She couldn't stand the thought of her Bridgey getting hurt like that.

Unfortunately the reply she received from the Yellow Ranger was more of an unintelligent grunt than a real answer. Z was still upset with Jack, why, she wasn't quite sure. It's not like he said anything mean or hurtful. If anything he just pointed out the obvious, she hated when he pointed out the obvious.

"Come on Z! You can tell me!"

It's not like having feelings for Bridge was a bad thing. He was so cute and funny, and slightly annoying at times but he was sweet and gentle…not like any of the other guys she had ever dated. It was almost like she felt he was too good for her. Why would he want her anyway? If you took away the uniform and the comfy cozy surroundings she was still just a girl from the street…

"We are roomies right?" Syd's sugar filled voice managed to push even more of Z's buttons.

"Riiight." Z finally retorted. "If that's the case then you can tell me what's going on between you and Jack."

"There is nothing going on between me and Jack." The Pink Ranger replied sweetly batting her eyelashes.

"And I'll believe that when Sky takes the stick out of his ass and starts to river dance."

"Okay so maybe there is something…" she contested "but it's just a bunch of harmless flirting right?"

"You better figure that out pretty soon here **roomy** because at the rate he's going Jack's on schedule to fall head over heels for you any day now." Z's voice nearly dripped with contempt.

Syd was slightly taken aback by the comment. She knew that Jack had the hot's for her…what man didn't right? But she had no idea that all of their playful flirting was going in that direction.

"And another thing…" the now furious Yellow Ranger added, "if you let Jack fall for you without reciprocating those feelings it'll be months before they'll be able to come up with enough makeup to make you presentable enough to go on another one of your precious magazine covers."

Syd was now on shock. Where had all the hostility come from? She knew that Jack and Z were like brother and sister but what had just exploded from Z was more than just sisterly concern. There was something else there but what? Syd hugged her beloved stuffed elephant Peanuts close to her chest as she watched Z gather up her costume and storm out of the room, stating that she was going to find somewhere else less likely to make her need insulin.

And in the Red Rangers private room…

Jack was sleeping.

_Discord among the Rangers! Say it isn't so! But wait it is so! Now what? And what about poor lonely Sky? Will he find someone to be with? Or will he end up spending the night with only Bridge's sock puppets to keep him company? (who knows that's probably against some rule or another.)….oh and something wicked this way comes……..muahahahahahahahahahahaha….. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay so the more I thought about it and the more I asked my friends (who's only knowledge of the power rangers is a vague recollection that once, way back when, there was that show with the people in it and the spandex and oh yeah Tommy! The dude with the long hair!) The more I thought hey wouldn't it be fun if…well I'm sure you'll figure it out! Just remember that anything I do or say is in no way done out of contempt or malice for the gang at SPD. It was done simply because I could! Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!_

_Disclaimer: Still don't own nuthin! _

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The early evening had gone mostly as planned. Together the B squad had gone down to the local shelter, setting aside whatever disagreements they might have had before arriving and putting on a happy façade for the children. Dividing into groups each ranger led a merry band of children dressed as ghosts in torn sheets or even some who had scrounged around for random bits and pieces and using their imaginations declared themselves to be rangers as well. Running around local neighborhoods the kids bounced from house to house gathering enough candy to keep them on a sugar high for at least the next few weeks. Occasionally the teammates would pass each other on their predetermined plans of candy attack and offer a courteous nod of acknowledgement but not much more. Towards the end of the evening Z's group of children came upon a house just as Bridges hyperactive brood were leaving. As the kids exchanged greetings and did quick comparisons of candy collections, the Green Ranger, dressed in the guise of a Biker, complete with aviator style sunglasses, leather vest, fake mustache and mullet, and a tattoo drawn on his arm (by himself from the look of it) that said MOM over a shakily drawn heart, approached the Yellow Ranger masquerading as a sorceress in long robes and a cloak.

"So…Z …How's it going?" he asked trying to sound casual.

"Alright." She answered shortly.

"Good…that's good…because I saw Syd earlier and she said that you seemed really upset by something but she didn't know what, and that you stormed out of the room but she didn't know why, and that…" He fiddled nervously with the Velcro on his gloves.

"Bridge."

"Yeah?"

"It's nothing don't worry about it. Jack had just said some things and for some reason I just didn't take it really well…Just a sibling thing I guess…"

"Well that's good, I mean you and Jack fighting's not good, that's bad, but it's good that you're okay, because I don't like to see you upset." He stumbled over his words nervously.

"Thank you Bridge." She looked over at the ridiculously dressed Green Ranger and smiled.

"So…are you going to that costume party tonight?" he asked tentatively

"Probably." She answered.

A few moments of silence between them passed.

"Well it looks like my kids are done marauding this house. We need to keep moving if we're going to get them back before dark." Z called the children over to her reminding them to thank the homeowners for the treats. Over a chorus of thank you's Z just barley heard Bridges proposition.

"Hey Z! If uh you're not going with someone else to the party tonight do you think maybe you'd want to go with me?" The Yellow Ranger turned and stared at him inquisitively for a moment.

"You want to go with me? To the party?" The Green Ranger blushed.

"Well yeah." She considered the offer and everything that Jack had said earlier.

"Okay."

"Really?" His spirits soared.

"Yeah, meet me in the common room at 7:00." And with that she turned and caught up with her kids at the next house her long cape flowing behind her.

"Hey mister?" Bridge felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down at one of the children from his group dressed as a cowboy.

"Yes?"

"She's pretty. Is she your girlfriend?"

"Well she's my friend and she's a girl but I don't think that qualifies her as my girlfriend really more like just a friend who's a girl and well maybe one of these days she'll be my girlfriend which is really more than a friend but I guess girlmorethanafriend just doesn't roll off the tongue quiet as…"

"Hey mister?" The kid gave his pant leg another tug.

"Yes?"

"You're weird. Can we go get more candy now?"

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Meanwhile a few blocks away…

"Hey mister?"

"What?"

Sky looked annoyingly down at the miniature version of himself. More correctly a young boy who had painted the number 2 on a blue leotard and had made his helmet out of a paper plate. It's not that Sky didn't like kids, on the contrary he loved them and hoped to have lots of them someday (and by lots of them he meant 3. two boys and one girl. Christopher and Schuyler Jr. who would both go on to be rangers like their father and his father before him, and Alicia who would grow up to win the Nobel peace prize for ending word hunger.) However right now Schuyler Tate's rope was seriously frayed and was approaching its snapping point.

"Are you really a Power Ranger?"

"Yes."

"Because you don't look like a Power Ranger."

"That's because I'm in costume."

"You are?" the child eyed his attire skeptically.

"Yes."

Sky, who had never really gotten in to the whole dressing up for Halloween thing (except when he was a child and then he was…well a Power Ranger.), had half assedly come up with a costume for the evening because the shelter had asked them to. He was dressed in his formal tuxedo and going around calling himself Bond, a reference that was flying right over the heads of the children and getting him laughed at from his teammates for actually owning a formal tuxedo.

"Well you don't act like a Power Ranger either."

"I don't?" Sky was genuinely perplexed. He felt as though he was the perfect model for ranger behavior.

"Nope. The Power Rangers are a lot cooler." The kid stated matter of factly.

"You know what kid?" Sky Tate was now annoyed beyond reason.

"What?" the mini blue ranger looked up at him challengingly

"Just because…" Sky realized he was about to pick an argument with a 7 year old and backed off. "Forget it."

"So are you supposed to be like that one guy from that game show…?"

"Yeah something like that kid."

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About two rows away and 5 houses down

Syd and Jack had met up and decided to combine their efforts for maximum candy outcome. While the kids ran from house to house the adults (well almost adults) walked casually down the sidewalk exchanging cleverly masked sexual innuendos.

"So what's it gonna be for me tonight Syd? A trick or a treat?"

"That depends Jack I know a lot of tricks."

"I would love to be treated." The Red Ranger licked his lips while devouring the site of the pink princesses walking beside him.

"I'm sure you would. But what makes you think you're going to get either?" she giggled. Jack adjusted his sunglasses and gave a turn causing his leather trench coat to go flaring out behind him.

"Because I'm Shaft! Haven't you heard? I'm one bad mother fu…"

"Hey mister?"

"Yeah?" Jack bent down until he was eye height with the pint-sized goblin.

"Do you think you could stop staring at your girlfriend long enough to pay attention to us?"

Jack suppressed a laugh at the audacious child.

"Sure kid what's up?"

"That lady over there gave us apples instead of candy."

"And? What's wrong with that? Apples are good for you."

"But its Halloween!" the kid whined "You're supposed to get candy on Halloween!"

Jack looked up at Syd who was grinning broadly at his interaction, and gave her a mischievous wink.

"Candy is good." Jack conceded, "But you'll never get to be a Power Ranger if you don't eat your fruits and vegetables too."

"Are you a ranger? Because Matt said that you guys aren't really rangers your just the people they send out to pretend that they are the Power Rangers, kinda like that guy in the mall who dresses up as Santa."

"Oh really? What's your name?"

"Brandon."

"So what do you think Brandon?"

The child took a good hard long look at the pair.

"I think maybe he's right."

Jack couldn't hold in the laughter this time. Was he this rude when he was a kid? Probably.

"I'll tell you what Brandon I want you to go make a bet with your friend Matt. Bet him 10 pieces of candy that I am the Red Ranger and I'll take that apple off your hands for you. Whadda ya say?"

"But how am I gonna win that?"

"Just trust me." The kid ran off and grabbed what was apparently his friend Matt. Jack laughed even more when it turned out to be the one dressed up as the Red Ranger.

"Jack you know what Sky would say, you shouldn't be using your power to show off." Syd chided.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing you're not Mr. Permanent stick up his butt huh? Because I'm sure that I wouldn't be nearly as attracted to you if you were, no matter how pretty all the girls think he is." Syd couldn't help but laugh. When the kids got back the one known as Matt looked up at him and opened his mouth, turned out that he was just as impudent as his friend.

"Brandon says you're the Red Ranger but I think he's full of shi-"

"Hey! We don't talk like that with a lady present." Jack reprimanded him, trying his best to suppress the laughter. It all reminded him why he liked kids so much; you could always trust them to give it to you straight.

"Sorry." The kid looked down at the ground and blushed.

"Okay now why don't you believe that I'm really a Power Ranger?" The kid looked back at Jack his confidence returned.

"Because why would the Power Rangers want to take a bunch of kids trick or treating? Plus you're too short." Matt told him knowingly.

"Really, well than maybe I'll just have to prove to you that I am the Red Ranger, and by the way the Blue Ranger is the tall one." Jack smiled at the kids and stood to his full height (which he actually hated to be reminded was shorter than Sky.) Pushing his coat aside like a gunslinger reaching for his revolver Jack reached underneath and pulled out his morpher and with a grand flourish called out.

"SPD EMERGANCY!"

And nothing….

"Ha…ha ha… uh let me try that again."

Jack called out again pressing the button on his morpher as hard as he could, but still nothing.

"See I told you he wasn't the Red Ranger!" Matt gloated

"Dude you suck! I just lost 10 pieces of candy!" Brandon threw the apple at Jacks head and turned to run before he could see it phase through.

"Um Syd, I think some things wrong with my morpher." Jack turned to Syd who was rubbing her shoulder that had been hit when the apple passed through Jacks head.

"What was your first clue?" She snapped.

"No really Syd, try yours see if it works."

Reluctantly she reached into her pink evening bag and pulled out her morpher, feeling silly but under Jacks intense gaze she called out

"SPD EMERGANCY!"

And still nothing.

"Okay Jack I'm officially creeped out." Syd glanced nervously at her morpher.

"I…uh …I'm sure it's nothing." He tried to reassure her as much as himself. "I bet Kat is just putting in an upgrade or something and Boom forgot to tell us that our morphers would be out of commission for a little while."

"I hope your right." Syd started to anxiously search the distance knowing that the one time you didn't need evil to show up is the every time that it did. Jack saw her agitation and swung his arm over her shoulder pulling her in closer to him.

"Don't worry princess, I didn't survive on the streets for as long as I did by not being able to take care of myself with or without being a ranger." He flashed her a winning smile that seemed to help ease some of the tension.

"Are you trying to tell me that I need protecting?" She asked with a grin.

"Oh no! I'm sure you could take me anytime!" He confessed.

"Is that a promise?"

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_Why aren't the morphers working? Why are all the kids only bugging the guys with "hey mister?" Why is Bridge dressed up as a biker? And what did I mean when I said don't be mad at me for the things I'm about to do? None of these answers and more! All in the next chapter! (hopefully.)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Okay so there was this one time at band camp…oh wait that's a story for another day. For today I just wanted to let everyone know that I own nothing but the insanity! And even that can be sold to the highest bidder!_

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The Rangers re-converged on the base after their wearing excursion.

"Man I think that was more exhausting than fighting Gruumm's hordes." Syd complained as she threw herself onto her bed. "And in heels none the less."

"Yeah I forgot just how energetic kids could be when faced with the prospect of free candy." Z followed her roommates cue and collapsed on her own bed.

Quiet moments passed between the two until Z finally spoke up.

"Hey Syd, I'm really sorry about earlier today. I was out of line." The Pink Ranger pushed herself up on her elbows to look at her friend.

"I understand that you want to look out for Jack, but that wasn't all of it was it?'

"No," Z shook her head. "Jack just said something's that shouldn't have set me off but for some reason they did…"

"What did he say?"

"Oh just some stuff about Bridge and me, it wasn't really that so much as my own insecurities."

"You're insecure?" Syd scoffed. "Could have fooled me." The girls laughed. "Seriously though why would Bridge make you insecure?"

"I don't know," Z admitted. "It has something to do with my dating history, lets just say I'm not the best at finding guys who aren't pieces of dirt."

"Well Bridge isn't like that, and he's been madly in love with you since the day we brought you in."

"He has?" Z sat straight up in her bed.

"Uh…yeah!" Syd raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows at her roommate. "Are you telling me you never noticed? The way he looks at you all the time? The way he watches you read?"

"I dunno. I thought maybe that was just Bridge being Bridge."

"Nope. He's got a grade A 100 full blown crush on you." Syd let the information sink in before continuing.

"And just so you know Bridgey is like my brother so all of that stuff you said about me and Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Well you can pretty much put it on repeat for you."

"Done and done. Except no ones ever wanted to put me on a magazine cover."

"Well then I'll just have to destroy your precious music collection using my fists of steel!" Syd waved her fist in a mock threat that made the two girls go into another set of giggle fits.

"So did Bridge ask you to the party?" Syd asked after they had calmed down a bit.

"Yeah." She blushed slightly

"And you said…?"

"To meet me in the common room at 7." The blush turned into a full on grin.

"Well it's 6:30 right now so we better get you dressed!" Syd jumped up from her bed and ran to her closet.

"But Syd I'm already dressed!" Z whined.

"Not good enough!" The Pink Ranger reached into the closet and pulled out a French Maid costume. "Here put this on instead!"

"Syd I don't even want to know why you have that lying around."

"Yeah your probably right."

"Eeewwww!"

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"Hey Sky!" Bridge ran to keep up with the taller man. "Sky wait up!"

The Blue Ranger pretended not to hear his roommate and continued on his steady pace towards their room.

"SKY!" Bridge yelled, and with a burst of speed finally caught up with his friend.

"Sky…I want…to say…that …I'm sorry…" The Green Ranger apologized between gulping breaths for air.

"For what?" Sky asked off handedly.

"I shouldn't have said what I did about you being jealous. It wasn't very nice of me and well I'm sorry." Bridge had taken off the sunglasses and now looked at him with pleading eyes. Sky looked down upon the shorter boy taking in his ridiculous costume, and pathetic puppy dog look and realized the same thing he always did at times like this - There was just no way to stay mad at Bridge, that was like saying you liked to drown kittens in your spare time. So swallowing his pride (and nearly choking on it) Sky returned his apology.

"I'm sorry too." He said through gritted teeth. "I shouldn't have told you that it was wrong to ask out Z. I know how much you like her and your right maybe I am a bit jealous that I don't have anyone to ask."

And then playing the part of the concerned friend, "So did you ask her?"

"Yeah."

"And she said?" His eyebrow raised in an arch above his blue eye.

"To meet her in the common room at 7." Bridges entire being glowed with joy and anticipation.

"Well it's 6:30 right now. Are you going to change or anything?" he asked again eyeing his roommate's attire.

"Why would I want to change?" Bridge was actually quite proud of his costume. It had taken him weeks to find just the right mullet wig to complete the look.

"Bridge the mullet died a terrible death back in the 1980's, it should have stayed that way."

"That's why it makes such a great costume!" he grinned. Sky shook his head despondently

"Well at least let me re-draw the tattoo on your arm, it looks absurd."

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Jack detoured to the command center his morpher in hand.

As much as he tried to convince Syd that nothing was wrong he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was indeed VERY wrong. Kats tech had never failed before so why would it start now? Entering the double doors Jack walked into an unfamiliar scene. The command center was empty. The command center was never empty, ever. The deep sense of foreboding got worse. _They're probably all out getting ready for the party…right? I mean why should I worry. I'm sure even DC has to leave the command center sometimes…right?_ Jack was woken from his internal reassuring when he heard a noise coming from behind the central desk. Looking over the large round computer terminal Jack found wires, tools and a pair of legs. Gingerly he reached down and gave the pants an experimental tug.

"AHHHHHHHH!" the owner of legs screamed, causing Jack to go tumbling over backwards letting out a shrill scream of his own.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"Jack?" a hesitant voice asked.

"Yes."

"You scream like a girl."

"Who is that?"

"It's Boom." And after a few minutes of squirming out and untangling himself from the wires he jumped up from behind the desk and revealed that it was in fact…him.

"Good God man! Way to send me into cardiac arrest! What are you trying to do kill me?"

"No…why would I want to do that?"

"I don't know."

"Yeah me either I mean why would I want to kill you? Or any of you for that matter?"

Jack gave Boom a once over look but shrugged his shoulders and let it go, Boom was always like this when around anyone who out ranked him, and since he flunked out his first day in the academy that put, anyone who out ranked him, to pretty much everybody.

"Right, anyway have you seen Cruger? Or even better Kat?"

"No. Why would I know where they are? It's not like it's my business to know right? It wasn't my day to watch them." Everyone's favorite gadget tester seemed to be unusually on edge.

"I guess not, but hey maybe you can help me. Earlier today I tried morphing and my morpher isn't working."

"It's not?"

"Uh…no. In fact neither is Syd's and I'm wondering if any of ours are."

"Oh you know what?" Boom said hurriedly "I forgot to tell you that we were putting an upgrade into the system and that your morphers would be down for a few hours."

"A few hours? That's an awfully long time."

"Yeah I know, couldn't be helped, and actually Kat asked me to get all of your morphers to complete the final phase of the upgrade."

"I thought you said you hadn't seen Kat."

"Well…uh your right…I haven't seen her, recently. She asked me this earlier today, but I had to wait for you guys to get back, so now uh …your back! So I guess I'll be down in a bit to get your morphers okay?"

"Okay…" Jack eyed Boom apprehensively there was something…off about him tonight, but then again Boom was always a bit off. "I'll just tell everyone to leave them in their rooms okay? Well here I guess you can take mine right now." Jack handed over his morpher to Boom and couldn't help but feel like he was loosing a bit of himself in the process.

"Thanks. Hey I'll get these back to you before morning okay?"

"Alright," Jack gave Boom another once over but still couldn't seem to put his finger on exactly what he thought was wrong. "See you later." He waved over his shoulder and jogged out of the command center down towards the common room. He had a party to go to and a hot date to go with. Soon thoughts of Sydney in leather mini skirts were burning away any feelings of unease.

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_Well at least everyone has made up right? Because they always say you should never go to bed angry. Not that anyone was actually on their way to bed…but you know what I mean right? Coming up next…PARTY!_

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_Real quick before I go - I was checking something out on the PRSPD DVD and something I had never really paid attention to before is that Cruger is spelled with a C! Why didn't anyone correct me! (not that I haven't seen that a lot of you spelled it with a K as well) But you people let me go around spelling it KRUGER and that was wrong! Oh and Grumm is actually spelled with 2 u's! (Gruumm) Damn! Now thanks to my anal retentive behavior I have to go back through all of my stories and fix the whole C K thing(and add extra u's) ! You people suck!_

_Ha… _

_Just kidding… _

_About the whole you suck thing …_

_You still love me right?_


	6. Chapter 6

Okay so I know that nothing overly interesting has happened yet but just wait it's coming …oh yes it's coming! I just hope you don't all disown me when it gets here!

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_Disclaimer: I still don't own the Power Rangers and I'm afraid that after what I'm about to do to them I may not ever be allowed to barrow them again either…_

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Jack joined up with his comrades in the common room; quickly popping his head into the boy's room he informed them of the upgrades to the morphers and to leave them on their nightstands for Boom. After that he turned to the girls and the first thing he noticed was unfortunately not Syd in her new sexy little fairy costume but his adopted little sister in an equally sexy French maid costume, and that was just wrong.

"Z what the hell do you think you're wearing?" he nearly yelled.

"Do you like it? I wasn't sure when Syd gave it to me but then I added a pair of fishnets and some cool boots and well…" she gave a little turn causing the skirt to lift up and show off her rear. "What do you think?"

"I think that that there was nothing wrong with your first costume and that you should go change back into that now before Bridge sees you." Jack couldn't help himself, Z was right. In all ways they were brother and sister and he just couldn't have any man looking at her the way he knew he would be if she wasn't…well his sister. But it was too late he heard the Green Ranger come into the room asking,

"Before I see what Jack?" Those were the last words to pass his lips for the next five minutes. The sight of Z (and her legs, her butt, and not to forget her cleavage) had rendered him speechless. Even Sky couldn't come up with a single rule he was sure she had to have been breaking by wearing that outfit. The two men stood staring blatantly until a sharp jab to the ribs jarred Sky back to reality

"She's mine." Bridge half growled when he noticed his roommate staring. Sky just nodded absently rubbing his side and turning to the, equally speechless rendering, Pink Ranger.

"Wasn't that you're costume last year?'" he whispered to her.

"Yeah, but I dare say she pulls it off better than I did."

"I don't know, you looked pretty good in that get up too." He smiled down at her.

"I did, didn't I?" she looked back up at him enjoying the light that sparked to life in his eyes when he smiled.

"You're coming with us right?" she asked, disappointed when the light flickered out and his face regained its normal stern appearance.

"I wasn't planning on it." Syd shook her head sending loose glitter flying in all directions.

"Schuyler Tate!" he flinched at the use of his full name. " I can't believe you! What are you going to do then huh? Bury your nose in that damned manual of yours?"

"Well actually I just got this new model of an F14 that I've been dying to start."

"Skyyyy!"

"What?"

"If you weren't going to go then why haven't you changed out of your lame excuse for a costume?" she fingered the lapel on his tux. Although as lame is might have been she would be hard pressed not to admit he looked damn good in it.

"I just haven't had a chance yet?" he tried.

"Bullshit. You're coming." There was no room for argument in her voice, but Sky Tate was obliged to at least try.

"I don't have a date or anything." He complained sourly.

"Is that what this is all about?" He wouldn't look at her to respond instead staring at the floor.

"no…"

"Listen I've got this friend," she grabbed his arm and lead him unwillingly out of the room to follow their teammates. "She's down in computer tech and she's really cute…"

"Syd you know I don't like being set up." He tried to pull his arm free from her vice like grip but she might as well have turned her fists to iron because they weren't budging.

"Too bad. She's kind of short so she's only going to come up to like your waist but like I said she's really cute and she likes you."

"Syyyyyd." It was his turn to whine.

"Shut it double oh seven, it isn't manly to whine! You're going to have fun even it kills you."

Resigned to his fate Sky allowed himself to be led down the hall towards the cafeteria that had been converted for tonight's purposes. Ahead of them he could hear Jack giving Bridge the standard 'you hurt her and I'll cut up your body into tiny little pieces and ship them to various countries around the world so that it will be decades until they find enough of you to have a proper funeral' big brother speech while Z complained to him to stop scaring her date. Bridge meanwhile was nodding his head in observance of the threats that Jack was making upon his life while bravely sneaking looks at Z that made him grin uncontrollably.

Sky couldn't help but let a small smile escape his lips.

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In the room the fluorescent lighting had been switched out in favor of black lights giving everything an eerie glow. Tables and chairs had been pushed aside to create a makeshift dance floor that was currently packed with costumed cadets bumping and grinding to the music blaring from a sound system that had been set up in the far corner of the room. Where they would normally serve the slop that was passed off as specially formulated nutritious food substance, more cadets had set up a buffet of sorts with candy corn, small pumpkin shaped cupcakes, and various other assorted sweet treats that made the health nut in Sky cringe with its own terror. All around them strobe lights flashed and faceless voices screamed from haunted house soundtracks to add to the Halloween vibe of it all. Syd finally released his arm to bounce off and find this friend she had talked about the whole way down. Her presence quickly was replaced by that of Jacks.

"Wow, so how did Syd get the resident rule book monitor to partake in such an obvious violation of at **least** 5 SPD academy regulations?"

"Actually it's more like 10 or 12 but who's counting?"

"Apparently you."

"Did you need something Jack?" Sky asked, quickly regretting letting Syd drag him down here.

"For once yes." His demeanor changed slightly, "Bridge told me that you and Syd…back in the day…well you know."

"Dated?" Sky offered the flailing ranger.

"Well?" Jack looked at him expectantly.

"Yes," Sky let out an irritated sigh, "Back when we both first made C squad me an Sydney dated for few months."

"Did you two ever…well you know?" Jack tried not to sound too obvious about it.

"Did you really just ask me that?" Sky glared down at the man to his left.

"You know what…uh, No." Jack squirmed under the cold as ice stare. "No I didn't and believe me now I never will."

"Good because it's none of your damn business whether or not me and Syd have had sex. And since the protective you hurt them and terrible things will happen to you speech is having a popular turn around tonight I just want you to know - hurt her…"

"And you'll create a force field around me and then shrink it until I pop like a pimple on a d squad cadets nose?" Jack joked. Sky however said nothing simply shaking his head never breaking his steely gaze; and in that moment Jack knew that whatever gruesome threat he could come up with would not be anywhere near what Sky could plot behind the silence. A cold shiver ran down his spine and Jack compulsively took a few steps away unconsciously wanting to put as much distance between him and those cold threatening blue eyes as possible.

A sigh of relief escaped his lungs when Syd came bouncing back with a shy brunette dressed as a pirate with a short striped skirt, torn fishnet stockings, and a big silver earring dangling from one lobe. Her bright green eyes looked up at the dashingly dressed Blue Ranger and her face turned an immediate shade of red that matched the bandanna over her long chestnut hair.

"Okay Monica this is Sky, Sky this is Monica" she introduced the two strangers. Playing into his costume, Sky smiled and took her hand bending down to lay a gentle kiss on the back,

"Charmed." He said, raising only his eyes to look at her, and in that instant his gaze had the opposite effect. Instead of causing her soul to freeze over like Jacks, she melted like an ice cream cone on a hot summers day (praying to the gods that he would come along to lap her up).

"Okay now that you two kids have been introduced, we are going to go dance." Syd grabbed Jack by the arm and led him onto the dance floor calling out to join them when they were ready.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave her with him?" Jack asked.

"Of course it is why?" she giggled

"No reason." Jack thought back to the way Sky had stared into the depths of his very being and planted a fear that would never be forgotten as long as he lived.

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Meanwhile…

Already on the dance floor Bridge was busting out with his best moves which included the sprinkler, the lawnmower and the, oh so popular, running man. Z was laughing hard while at the same time trying to distance herself from the embarrassment to dancing that was Bridge Carson.

"Okay Bridge that's enough." She beckoned him.

"But I was just about to show everyone my moonwalk!" he complained.

"I think that everyone has been more than impressed by your vast array of dance moves for now, why don't we go and get something to drink?" She received a multitude of appreciating looks from the cadets around them.

"Well now that you say it I am a bit thirsty."

"Perfect! Lets go see if anyone's spiked the punch yet."

"What do we do if they have?"

"Drink it of course." Bridge nodded in mock understanding.

Following the spunky French maid through the crowd he couldn't help but continuously check out just how good her legs (and for that matter her butt) looked in the impossibly short skirt she was wearing. Ever so often Z would turn around and catch him looking causing his face to turn bright red and hers to break out in an enormous grin. His embarrassment was one of the cutest things about him.

When they had gotten their drinks and retreated to a comparatively quiet table in the back the two friends, who were unsure of where their relationship may be heading, began talking. Somewhere in the conversation Z had to ask.

"Why?"

Bridge blinked a few times in confusion.

"Why?"

"Yes. Why?"

He could come up with a thousand reasons why but the list would keep them there well past midnight.

"Because I like you, I mean that is to say of course I like you! We're friends and teammates and well you generally get to like the people you spend as much time with as we do…"

He started to play with the fake mustache that he had removed a while ago (who knew fake hair glued to your face could itch so bad?)

"But I mean I like you even more than that…" He explained.

" And for more reasons than because we're teammates and we spend a lot of time together and…" He was rambling

"…If it's okay with you I'd really like to spend even more time together, doing more than just being teammates."

Z let his words sink in for a moment before locking her deep chocolate brown eyes with his lighter baby blue ones.

"I would like that." She reached out her hand to him and he took it tangling his leather-clad fingers with hers. "I would like that a lot." She smiled.

Slowly the inched closer together and then leaning over the table their lips were only a breath away when a female cadet came running into the party screaming.

"THE COMMANDERS DEAD!"

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_What's this?! Cruger's dead?! But how? Who? Why? Your guess is as good as mine. _

_By the way kudos to Z (the author not the character) one half of the Tate Twins who makes her acting debut as Sky's date in this very chapter! (she begged.)_


	7. Chapter 7

_What the hell is going on! I just had to change my rating to M! I just had to change my genre to Horror! Where have the evil plot spirits of Halloween taken me?! I swear it wasn't me it wasn't…gack!…**Blue November isn't in right now if you could please leave a message after the scream she will return your reviews as soon as possible…Thank you…(**Muahahahahahah!AHHHHHHHH!!!! Somebody help me!_

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_Disclaimer: If Disney owns everything, I therefore (according the world of mathematics) own nothing. Especially (but not limited to) the Power Rangers. Hell not even my OC from the last chapter really belongs to me…_

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The room fell deathly silent (which seemed appropriate under the circumstances).

The five rangers abandoned their activities and dashed to the frazzled cadets side bombarding her with questions, none of which were getting answered in the confusion. Finally Jack stuck two of his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud shrill whistle that again hushed the room.

"Okay one thing at a time." He said more calmly than he knew he was. But he had to remain calm if it was true that Cruger really was dead that meant that as Red Ranger he was now in charge of the entire academy. Turning to the frantic cadet he gently questioned her.

"How do you know that the commander is dead?"

"Because I…walked into his office…I mean I didn't mean to just walk in but I knocked and there was no answer but when I tried the door was already open so I just walked in…and I called out so that he would know that I was there…and I was just there to ask him if I could put the refreshments for tonight's party on the expense report for the D squad…but there was no answer.." She told her story through enormous sobs that gradually decreased the farther in she got but then became more intense the closer she got to the end.

"So I walked into his study and there he was face down in a bowl of kibble!….I ran to his side but there was no pulse…and he wasn't breathing…and his body was so cold!…and I knew he must be dead! He's dead! Commander Cruger is dead!" Her hysterics went back into full swing.

"I didn't know the commander ate kibble."

"BRIDGE! This is really not the time!"

"Sorry, you want me to check her for you?"

"Well that **would** be closer to helpful!" Jack snapped at him.

"No need to be so hostile." Bridge mumbled while taking off his glove. Waving his right hand between him and the overly distraught cadet Bridge saw what he had been desperately hoping was some kind of Halloween prank.

"It's true." Was all he could say. The room erupted into more hysterics while the Rangers ran to Cruger's study. There he was just as the girl had said; Face down in a bowl of kibble.

"There's no way." Z couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it.

"But he was the Shadow Ranger!" Sky just couldn't process how someone so strong could be brought down so silently in his own room.

"Who would do such a thing?" Syd asked dumbfounded.

"No I think the question here is who wouldn't?" Jack reasoned. "I'm sure that in all of his dog years Cruger had made lots of enemies."

"Yes but Jack you forget that no one gets in or out of this base without clearance." Sky reminded him.

"So that means the killer is one of us." Jack agreed.

"But guys we've all been at the party!"

"No not one of **us** Bridge I meant one of us as in somebody at the academy."

"Oh."

"Bridge can you tell me how it happened?" Bridge nodded and again took off his glove. Sweeping the room he found no suspicious aura trail Just Cruger and then the cadet who found him.

"There's not much to go on," He watched the fading psychic energy that represented Anubis Cruger's final moments

"He came in…with a dinner from the cafeteria, looks left, now right. Coast is clear. Dumps the food on his plate and pours the kibble…huh well I guess he was a dog. Okay before he eats he gets up and…OH MAN! I did **not** need to see that!"

"What?" morbid curiosity took hold of Z.

"Let's just say he uh 'cleaned up' before dinner."

"Oh! EEWWWW!"

"Okay that's enough let's stick to the important things Bridge."

"Important, right…he sits down, sniffs at the kibble, makes a face like maybe there was something wrong with it, shrugs his shoulders eats it anyway aaaaannnnd…drops dead."

"A stroke?" asks Syd.

"Heart attack maybe?" suggests Jack. "He did always seem a little too wound up."

"Nope. Poison."

"And how do you know that Bridge?" Sky looked over at him skeptically.

"Because his kibble is made from chocolate covered in meat, and everyone knows that chocolate is poisonous to dogs." Bridge stated.

"How do you know that his kibble was made from choco…you didn't just eat some did you?" Jack gave him a disgusted look. Bridge just shrugged his shoulders.

"I purpose we put the base on lockdown." Sky suggested before **that** conversation could go any further. "Nobody gets in or out of their rooms without notifying us first."

"Good idea Sky, I'll go get our morphers from Boom, hopefully him and Kat will have been done with them by now."

Just then Boom came bursting into the office.

"Is it true? The commanders dead?" he asked frantically.

"It is, look Boom we think it was someone in the base. We need our morphers back so that we can split up and begin our search."

"I wish I could Jack but I was just going down to the party to let you know that your morphers had been stolen from your rooms before I could get to them."

"Stolen!"

"Yes! But then I heard that the commander was dead so I came running up here right away! I knew you guys would probably want to start searching so I brought you these." Boom un-slung a bag from his shoulder and pulled out 5 walkie-talkies.

"Thanks Boom." Z gave him a friendly pat on the back as she took hers.

"No problem, you guys are like family to me, there's nothing I wouldn't do to help."

"Appreciate the offer Boom but I think it would be safer for you to go on lockdown with every one else. Whoever this is has killed Cruger and now has our morphers as well, who knows what they might be plotting to do next. If you see Kat tell her what happened ok? And have her hail us on the walkies." Jack turned from Boom to his team. "Ok guys, I say we split up and start searching the base, Bridge. Z. You start at the lower levels, Sky? Will you be okay on your own?" Sky nodded. "Alright then I want you to start by getting the lower cadets to their rooms and then meet up with Syd and I on the upper levels. We'll search until we meet up in the middle okay? Anyone finds anything call it in got it?" The Rangers nodded solemnly and then divided into their groups and headed out.

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Sky ran back down to the cafeteria and found Monica first. It turned out that Syd wasn't so bad at picking blind dates. Before the incident (murder?) Sky had actually been having a great time, they had talked and laughed and she had even gotten him out onto the dance floor for a few songs. It had been awhile since Sky had felt comfortable enough with someone to let his guard down and have fun. Actually it hadn't happened since Syd and him had made a go of it a few years back, and he had still managed to botch that up royally by not giving her all of the attention that she deserved, instead focusing on his progression within SPD. He made a mental note that now that he was a Ranger he was going to do his best not to let that happen again. Unfortunately this time SPD had to come first.

"Hey Monica, I'm really sorry." He apologized "But it's all true. Cruger really is dead so we need to put the base on lockdown and I've got to go…"

"Do your whole Blue Ranger thing. Don't worry I understand." She gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'd still like to get to know you better though, what do you say to dinner on Saturday?" he offered.

"I'd say that sounds great, now go," she shooed him. "And be careful!" Sky turned and got a few steps away but then had a second thought. Turning back around he swiftly bent down and placed a quick kiss on her lips catching her completely off guard.

"You too." He whispered before turning again to the crowd bellowing out that all cadets must return to their rooms and under no circumstance leave until the killer had been caught or until they could sufficiently say that they were no longer in the base. Not wanting to incur the legendary Tate wrath the cafeteria emptied out quickly. Sky pulled out his walkie and gave the all clear for the others to start searching. He then made his way upstairs to Jack and Syd.

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Normally the hallways were bustling with activity. With so many cadets at the academy it was hard not to find at least ten people walking down any of the bases numerous corridors at any given time. But now there was just two, and the eerie silence had them both more than a little freaked out.

"I still can't believe that Cruger is really dead." Syd whispered mostly to herself.

"Yeah I know, I thought for sure nothing could kill that old dog." Jack was still reeling.

Before they had started their search they had tried to hail Supreme Commander Birdie but the communications tower had mysteriously been damaged. Boom had said that it was in the last robot fight, Sky had flown to close to the base and clipped the top of the tower, but Sky was the best pilot Jack knew (even though he would never admit that to Sky). The chances of Sky doing that were slim. However the chances of him doing that and not telling anyone were the kind of Vegas odds that you bet on. His stubborn pride would have kept the Blue Ranger from admitting that he had made a mistake so maybe that was why they hadn't known about it. Jack made a mental note to ask Sky when they met up.

"So what exactly are we looking for anyway?" the Pink Ranger turned to the man who was now in charge of everything.

The problem was that Jack didn't know. Cruger had been poisoned which meant that the killer didn't have to be in the room to do it, which meant no psychic trail for the Green Ranger to follow. So short of having Bridge go around to every cadet and personnel in the entire base, which may have numbered in the hundreds maybe thousand Jack didn't really have a clue. The base was huge and there was so much that he still didn't know about its inner workings. All he knew is that after every fight his zord went in dirty and sometimes broken, and by the next fight it was clean and fixed. He had no idea how many people it actually took to pull all that off. And even not actually fully understanding the way Bridges power worked, he was fairly certain that having him scan that many people would probably send him into a coma or something, in other words not an option he was willing to go with until he had exhausted all others.

"I think maybe we're looking for anything suspicious." Jack raised his fingers in little 'air quotes' with the word suspicious hoping to at least get a smile out of Sydney. He hated to see her so stressed out and worried. It was that thought that made Jack think maybe there was something more there than just him wanting to get some. In fact Jack was pretty sure that there was something more there, at least for him there was. He had no clue where she stood on the situation.

"Well if we're looking for anything suspicious, I think I just found it." Syd smiled returning to their usual sexually charged banter. It was a good way not to think about everything that was now going on.

"Oh yeah and what's that?" he smiled mischievously.

"You Mr. Landers."

"What did I do that could possibly be construed as suspicious?" he gave her his best innocent, eyelash batting, pouty lip look.

"You have not commented once on my new costume! Not the length of the skirt, not the way you can practically see right through the fabric, or the lack thereof! I'm very disappointed in you." She chastised. "Even Sky told me how good I looked." The expression on his face told her she had pushed just the right button with that. Jack and Sky were in a constant silent competition to one up each other.

Quickly checking the corridor to make sure that said Blue Ranger was not in sight Jack grabbed Syd and pushed her up against the wall pinning her there under his own body.

"Has Sky ever done this?" He snarled before crashing his lips into hers.

There was no resistance only mild shock that quickly turned into an equally matched hunger. Inside her head she answered his question. No. Sky had never done anything like that, and it had always disappointed her. When they dated he was always the perfect gentleman, never **really** letting himself go. At least not in the way she had wanted him to. He was so caught up in being the best that their relationship had always come second. Don't get her wrong when it was good it was **good, **but that didn't make up for the times that it was lacking and in the end that's why the decided to just stay friends, not so many expectations.

But Jack was different. Jack was wild and sometimes almost reckless. He didn't hesitate to take what he wanted and he knew how to take time to have fun. And damn…he was a really good kisser!

He worked his lips and tongue against hers in the most pleasurable onslaught she had ever been a part of. His hands came up and cupped her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples through the barely there fabric. She let a small moan escape her throat and into his mouth. Tearing his lips away from hers he focused in on her slender neck. Working his way up the sweetly scented skin, he tasted the hint of salt from the heat they were creating. Gently scraping his teeth across her neck he elicited another moan, deeper and fuller this time.

"God Syd you have no idea what you do to me." He said breathlessly into her ear before taking the soft flesh of her lobe and sucking.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." She whispered back as she dragged her nails down his back and dug them into the backside of his tight leather pants, causing him to press his body harder against hers and feel her heart thundering wildly in her chest.

"uuhhhh…I need you…ahh…right now." He growled.

Knowing this was neither the time nor the place Syd huskily replied

"Yes." And allowed herself to be lifted up and carried into the nearest empty classroom, legs clamped around Jacks waist.

It was a good thing that the base was on lockdown otherwise they would have walked right into Professor Tui's money management night course, but instead of shocking a room full of cadets, Jack locked the door, laid Sydney down on top of the Professors desk and proceeded to completely ignore Sky's voice over the radio asking 'what was there location'.

"He's still at least 8 floors down," Jack said in between removing the necessary articles of clothing to do what it was they both wanted. "We got time."

Her only response was to tear at his shirt in order to get her hands on his bare chest.

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Sky checked the battery on his radio again. There was still nothing wrong with it. Putting it back in he tried hailing Jack and Syd for the 23rd time.

"Jack? Syd? Where are you guys? I'm on the 16th floor making my way up. Are you guys okay?" nothing but dead air responded. Sky was becoming slightly ill. Half with worry and half with anger. Pressing the button down again he tried his other teammates.

"Bridge? Do you read me?" A few silent seconds passed.

"If by read, you mean hear you? Then yes. However I've never really been able to read you Sky, I think it has something to do with your force fields, kind of like a mental block, you know since they are created with your mind and all…"

"Bridge!"

"Sorry."

"Have you guys heard anything from Jack and Syd?" This time he heard Z's voice over the small radio in his hands.

"Not recently why?"

"I can't seem to get a hold of them, I was supposed to meet up with them after I got done with the lower cadets but I've been getting no answer."

Some more dead air.

"Sky I hate to be the one to say this but do you think maybe they're, uh…you know…indisposed at the moment?"

His earlier conversation with Jack flared back to the forefront of his mind and he began to yell at the empty hallway loudly cursing his teammates.

"Umm…Sky?" he heard Z's voice crackle timidly through the speaker.

"What!" it came out more like a harsh statement then a question.

"You shouldn't press down on the button unless you want everyone to hear."

"Dammit."

Suddenly over the radios they all heard Jacks voice.

"Hey Sky, sorry we didn't hear you the first few times must have been in a dead spot or something." Sky swore he heard snickering in the background. "But hey we're on the 20th floor okay? We'll wait here for you."

Sky was too pissed off to trust himself to speak. Instead he stomped over to the nearest staircase and made his way up to the 20th. Jack would be lucky if he lived through this one. He thought angrily to himself.

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_So Jack and Syd have uh…(complicated hand gestures)…yeah, and someone else has poisoned Cruger! And they're without their morphers! I guess it's a good thing they all have those handy dandy genetic powers right? Hey by the way anyone out there know how many floors SPD actually has? Yeah, me neither. And what about that girl Monica? Pretty rockin' OC huh? He he he…_


	8. Chapter 8

"_It's time to throw off those chains and addle our brains with madness!" That's one of my favorite song lyrics from a song called - I'll be That Girl- by the Barenaked Ladies. I think that maybe it explains perfectly what happened to me when I started to write this fantastic fic! Muahahahaha!_

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_Disclaimer- I'm nowhere near owning any of this! Although I am taking up a collection! I figure if we can all get enough together maybe we can make Disney an offer!_

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Jack Landors gathered up his lost articles of clothing from their various points of impact around the room, grinning madly to himself. That was the most incredible, most erotic, most exciting…Damn that was good! He found himself praying that something did come out of all this. Not just because the two of them turned out to be a potent combination in the sack, but because he realized that now that he had had Sydney Drew he couldn't bare the thought of any other man putting his filthy fingers on that perfect alabaster skin. He was falling for her and in a big way (not that he hadn't already been poised at the edge and ready to jump head first). Pulling his shirt back on Jack winced slightly as it dragged across the nail marks down his back. _Small price to pay._ He thought to himself (even though he had thoroughly enjoyed it at the time.) Whistling a happy tune while he straightened his out his dreds and adjusted his sunglasses, Jack couldn't help but think about how pissed off Sky was bound to be at them for ignoring his calls. His smile grew even wider. Confidently he walked out the door of the classroom and ran head first into the Blue Rangers upper torso.

"Hey Sky." He looked up into the face of an infuriated man and greeted him casually.

Sky said nothing at first choosing to slam him up against the wall almost in mockery of what he had done to Syd earlier. Jack just really hoped that Sky didn't have any intentions of doing to him all the other things he had done to Syd after this point. Not that Sky Tate wasn't a very attractive man, he was. Jack just didn't swing that way, and told him so. That only seemed to infuriate him more.

"What the hell do you think your doing?!" Sky yelled barely an inch away from his eardrum.

"Not hearing anything else you have to say now, thanks a lot." Jack wiggled his finger inside his ear hoping to maybe magically restore his hearing. Ignoring his smart-ass comments Sky continued to rip Jack a new one.

"Here we are hunting down a killer and you think it's a good time not to answer your radio because you're too busy doing god knows what with your teammate! What the hell is wrong with you Jack! When you didn't answer I was worried that you two might have gotten hurt or even worse, killed!"

"Why Sky I never knew you cared…" This only earned Jack another slam against the wall.

"Dammit Jack this is not the time for your bullshit! With Cruger gone that puts you in charge! Why don't you grow up for two seconds and act like it!" Jack felt the anger and resentment that he had been trying to escape from bubble to the surface.

"Why don't you back the fuck off Mr. I'm a self righteous prick!" Jack tried shoving Sky away but the taller man had more leverage, so instead Jack did something that he absolutely hated to do. He phased through Sky's body causing both men noticeable physical discomfort. Once out the other side both men took a long deep breath before continuing their argument. Sky shakily turned around to face Jack.

"Don't you ever do that again." He quietly threatened.

"Believe me Sky another pass through your body is the last thing I want, I think I got arrogance all over me."

"I don't even want to hear about arrogance you asshole."

"You know what Sky maybe you wanted all this, but I sure as hell didn't! Okay? I didn't ask to be the Red Ranger! I didn't ask for any of this to happen! I didn't ask to be the one that everyone counted on when things went to shit!"

"Your right Jack you didn't ask for it! It was handed to you on silver fucking platter!"

"Look Sky I really don't think this is the time for another Tate pity party about how you didn't get to be the Red Ranger."

"And I don't think it's time for an "oh poor Jack! What a reluctant hero!" sob story."

The two men stared each other down in murderous silence.

"Did you hear that?" Sky's attention was suddenly pulled away from Jack.

"Hear what? There's only empty classrooms, no ones up here but us."

"SHHHH!" the Blue Ranger shushed him and then perked his head up straining to hear the noise fighting it's way through the silence. He then turned back to Jack and asked -

"Where's Syd?"

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Sydney Drew had never been so giddy or so guilty at the same time. On one hand what her and Jack just did was…amazing. On the other hand what they just did was completely inappropriate on so many levels. The Commander was dead, they were supposed to be searching for the killer and to top it all off they did it on a teacher's desk…and against the blackboard, and the floor, and the teacher's chair. Sydney gazed into the mirror lost in her own thoughts. What was going on between her and Jack? What would the others think? Bridge would be pleased for her; he always was when it was anything that made her happy. Z would be…okay? She wasn't sure. Sky would be mad, that much she knew. But then again when didn't Sky have a two by four up his butt about something. He had never liked any of the guys she had dated after him, but it was his loss right? And Jack was sure to be no exception. It wasn't exactly CNN breaking news that the two of them didn't get along. _Wait did she just say dating? Her and Jack were dating?_ The thought actually caused that warm fuzzy feeling to spread through her stomach. When these feelings for Jack had occurred she wasn't really sure. _Maybe it was when he did that thing with his tongue_ she mused. Glancing at her watch she realized she had been the bathroom long enough. Sky was probably there by now and if she left the two boys by themselves for too long chances were one of them wouldn't be alive when she got back. She gave her hair one last flip and turned for the door. It was then that she heard something behind her.

"Hello Sydney."

The cold voice that echoed through the girl's bathroom sent shivers down her spine.

"Who's there?" she demanded without turning around.

"Just a fan of yours…"

Suddenly music blared to life. She knew right away that it was hers.

"What do you want?" she asked over the poppy music. Turning to look for the source of the voice, all she saw was a small portable CD player.

"Nothing much..."

The voice bounced off the tile walls making it impossible for her to pinpoint what direction it was actually coming from.

"Just an autograph..."

The voice got closer and was now definitely behind her. Syd reached up to her diamond stud earrings that she always wore just in case. In a flash her hands copied the material fastened into her ears.

"In your blood!"

Spinning around she found herself face to helmet with the Yellow Ranger. Syd tried to ignore the blinding panic now rushing through her system.

"Well you're sure as hell not Z." she commented trying to remain calm. "Her butt may be big but it's not that big."

The Yellow Ranger lashed out at her throwing an awkward punch.

"Lets see how you like a fist full of diamond!" Syd ducked and smiled as she smashed her fist into the imposter's stomach. What she didn't expect was for her hand to actually smash. Shards of glass tinkled to the floor mixing with the laughter coming from the Yellow Ranger and her own voice singing through the stalls.

"I'm sorry!" the voice mockingly apologized. "I switched all of your diamonds out for costume jewelry! But really Syd you think that **you** of all people would have noticed." Syd dropped to her knees blinking in disbelief at her shattered hand.

"And now about that autograph…" The Yellow Ranger bent down and picked up one of the shards that used to be Syd's middle finger. Before Syd could process what was going on it was too late, her scream was lost in a gurgling of blood spurting from the gash in her throat.

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"Jack where's Syd?" Sky asked again.

"She's in the bathroom cleaning up why?"

"Don't you hear that?" Sky turned his head towards the music he was sure he heard coming from around the corner. Jack's ears perked to the sound as well.

"Yeah I do."

"How long as she been in there?" He turned to Jack who was still staring in the direction of the bathrooms.

"I don't know, 10 maybe 15 minutes? It's Syd, when doesn't she take forever in the bathroom getting ready?" Despite his statement Jack found himself moving towards the girls restroom Sky close on his heels.

"Something's not right…" Sky mumbled. "I hear her voice, but she's singing." His pace quickened.

"Well maybe I was just that good." Jack half -heartedly joked.

"You wish." Sky retorted. Both men couldn't stop themselves from moving, their walk had turned into a light jog, and upon turning the corner the music got louder.

"It's her CD." Sky tried to keep the panic that was rising in his throat from edging into his voice.

"And you would know." The feeling that had been plaguing Jack earlier in the day was now screaming in his brain, something was very, very, wrong. Realizing this both men ran full sprint to the girl's bathroom dreading every step.

"Syd!" they called out in unison the closer they got. No real answer was heard only her recorded voice going on about how it was "all about her." With a burst of speed Jack ignored the door, phasing through instead, with Sky directly behind him. Forgetting that he did not share in Jacks power to walk through walls, Sky hit the door with a loud thud. Stepping back he cursed Jack under his breath, rubbing his forehead.

And then he heard Jack scream.

Yanking the door nearly off its hinges Sky burst into the room to find Jack kneeling next to the bloody body of their pink princess.

"Oh God no…Syd!" Sky's voice was a harsh whisper.

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_And let the flaming begin!_

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_What's this? Now Syd's dead too?! The HORROR! The MADNESS! The FUN!…uh hehe…_

_Why do I have the feeling I just made a whole lot of enemies?_


	9. Chapter 9

_In case you haven't noticed I'm attempting to write this horror movie style! So whenever you feel the need PLEASE don't hesitate to add your own squishy sound effects or a REE REE REE! When you feel that the moment calls for such a sound. We wont laugh at you! I promise! _

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_Disclaimer: the Power Rangers in no way shape or form belong to me. Which is apparently a good thing because look what I've gone and done to them…_

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Bridge and Z made their way awkwardly through the lower levels of the academy. Well it wouldn't have been so awkward if it wasn't for what almost happened before they had found out that the commander was dead. Being pretty sure of what Syd and Jack were up to while ignoring Sky's repeated attempts to get a hold of them wasn't helping. Bridge would busy himself by periodically scanning the hallways watching the fading psychic trails of cadets and faculty weave in and out of labs and workshops, while Z would send out replicates to search the rooms.

"Z," he complained. "I'm not finding anything." He turned to look at the closet version of her.

"Yeah me neither." Came her voice from about two rooms down. Bridge looked at the replicate standing next to him, who simply shrugged her shoulders before disappearing.

Bridge wouldn't have needed for her to tell him which copy of Z Delgado was the real one. Every time he scanned the hallway only the real Z gave off that glowing gold aura that he found so spectacular. Without doubt he snuck up behind the real Z whose back was turned while searching through one of the teaching labs.

"Gotcha!" he yelled while playfully poking her below the ribs. Screaming she jumped and turned to face her attacker who was grinning madly at her.

"Don't do that!" she smacked him on the chest, but couldn't keep the smile from creeping its way across her face. It was the dimples that did her in, the way they got deeper the more he smiled, and the way his blue eyes glowed bright with delight every time he did.

"And take that stupid wig off." She eyed the mullet that resembled road kill lounging on top of his head.

"But it's great! Business up front party in the back!" His smile widened while he did a little butt wiggle to indicate the party. Her laughter rang through the empty hallways.

"The only party that wig is going to will be it's own wake." Z reached up and against his protests plucked the travesty to modern hairstyles off his head and tossed it in the nearest trash bin.

"Heeeeeyyyy!" he whined.

"Sorry Bridge it had to be done, trust me it's for the best."

"But now I have wig hair…you know like hat hair only worse." He pouted.

"Bridge with the normal state of your hair I doubt anyone will notice." She giggled.

"I'll have you know it takes me forever to get my hair to stick up just right." Bridge inched closer to her.

"You **would** do that on purpose." Z closed the distance between them by reaching up and running her fingers through his relentlessly disheveled mop of brown hair. It was softer then she had expected and stuck up almost of its on accord. Using her fingers she ruffled his hair causing it to stick up even more. Seemingly satisfied with her work she let her hands trail down his neck and locked her fingers together at the base.

"There is that better?" she asked gazing into his bright blue eyes.

"Definitely." He let his hands snake around her waist and pull her in to him. She could fell his breathing become heavier as his chest rose and fell against her. Tentatively he leaned in licking his lips nervously. She eagerly awaited his touch closing her eyes softly and tilting her head up slightly to meet his lips. Then the radio crackled to life.

"Bridge. Z. Come in." Sky's voice ruined her moment. No wonder Jack and Syd had been ignoring him. Quickly pulling away from her Bridge grabbed the radio from his back pocket, leaving her eyes still closed and her head still lifted, awaiting that which would never come. Silently she cursed the Blue Ranger and his inane ability to ruin moments.

"Sky what's wrong?" Bridge could hear the anguish in the voice of his best friend.

"It's Syd." He seemed to choke on her name.

That got Z's attention. Her head turned and her eye's snapped open at he sound of her roommates name and the tears that seemed to fill Sky's voice when he said it.

"We're on our way." Was Bridges immediate response. Grabbing Z by the hand they ran for the nearest elevator.

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When they got to the 20th floor Bridge didn't need to ask where exactly they were, he had only to follow the waves of sadness permeating the air, that and he heard Syd's CD still playing in the background. Breathless they ran into the girls bathroom and slid forward colliding with the man in the tux.

"What the…?" Z steadied herself with help from Sky. Looking down she saw the trails they had left through the blood that slicked the floor and screamed.

"Sky what happened?" Bridge asked his sullen roommate.

"They got Syd." Jack answered flatly

"Whose they?"

"Whoever it was that killed DC and stole our morphers."

"How? Weren't you both here?" Z asked accusingly. The two men looked down at the floor ashamed to admit that they had been fighting with each other while Syd was getting her throat cut. Bridge just shook his head at the silent answers and undid the Velcro on his gloves. Dragging his right hand across his field of vision he focused on the colors in front of him. There was a familiarity there that he couldn't quite place.

"Can somebody turn off the music so I can concentrate?" He asked irritably. Z stepped over the body of her friend and turned off her voice haunting them through the speakers.

"Thank you." Turning back to his vision he watched the events unfold and then almost immediately ran for the toilet.

"Bridge what did you see?" Z asked over the sound of him loosing his punch and cookies. A few minutes of gag inducing noises passed before Bridge finally emerged from the stall, pale and wiping the bile from his mouth.

"Bridge what was it?" she asked again. Bridge turned to the frazzled French maid and took a deep breath before answering.

"It was you." Z stared at him wide eyed and disbelieving.

"That's impossible! I was with you the whole time!" She yelled frantically.

"I know but the Yellow Ranger power is all over the place in here."

"Someone used the Yellow Ranger power to kill Syd?" Jack asked.

"Well that and a shard of glass from her own hand." Bridge looked down at the body of his fallen teammate before meeting his leaders gaze. She thought her earrings were diamond but someone switched them out with glass…"

"So that when she used her power…" Sky added catching on to where Bridge was going.

"Her fist shattered against the murderer." They all stood in silence with the gruesome mental image.

"We have to find whoever did this." Z whispered her own fists trembling in fury.

"We will." Jack promised his adopted sister.

"We have to." Sky stated. "Because we're next."

Bridge looked at Sky inquisitively. "Why do you say that?"

Sky indicated the mirror above the sink and the words written in blood upon it.

"Because it says Your Next."

Bridge turned from the mirror to his friend. "Wow Sky you** are** good."

Jack and Sky simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"Lets split up." Jack took the attention away from the bloody warning and Bridge. "But this time stay on the same floor, we'll work our way down together. Bridge and Z you take the rest of the classrooms, Sky and I will get the gym and simulator rooms." Jack took off his leather trench coat and covered Sydney's body, and then followed his team out the door.

"Okay guys lets go find out who did this and make them pay."

Before they could all leave Jack took Bridge aside from the others. When they were sufficiently out of Z's hearing range he turned to Bridge.

"You take care of her." He whispered harshly. "I kept her with you because I figured you would be able to know if something was coming." Bridge nodded his head in acknowledgement while looking over at the woman they both cared for." If anything happens I just want you to get her out of there. Never leave her alone!" Jack grimaced at the thought of his own mistake before continuing. "Call me and Sky and we'll take care of it, you understand?" Bridge glowered at Jack.

"You now Jack just because I don't have physical powers like you and Z and Sky doesn't mean I don't know how to take care of myself or anyone else for that matter." Jack was taken aback. Bridge angry was the most disconcerting thing he had ever seen.

"I didn't mean it like that Bridge." He tried to apologize.

"I can take care of her just fine." He stated while giving Jack his best angry glare, not having much practice in being angry at people it came out looking more like he was badly constipated.

"I know you can." Jack conceded giving his odd friend a light pat on the shoulder.

They wandered back over to the others and then split up and continued the manhunt.

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Jack and Sky walked in uncomfortable silence neither man looking at the other instead focusing on just about anything else. Finally Sky's demeaning tone hit Jacks eardrums with accusation.

"If you had been focused more on finding the killer instead of indulging your own pathetic needs she would still be alive."

"I would not go there if I were you." Jack muttered.

"And why not Jack? She was my friend." Both men winced at the use of past tense.

"She was my friend too." Jack continued to stare ahead of him, not wanting the egotistical bastard next to him to see the tears forming.

"No Jack to you she was just another piece of ass." Jack made a turn mid step and lunged at Sky.

"You have no idea what she was to me!" he screamed, landing a curled fist on the surprised jaw of Sky Tate knocking him to the ground. Now standing above him Jack contemplated kicking him in the groin but decided against it figuring Sky probably had nothing there to kick anyway.

"I loved her." Jack said quietly but confidently, before turning and walking away from the stunned man on the floor.

Sky pulled himself off the ground and sent a brief gaze in the direction that Jack had stormed off in.

"So did I." He whispered before turning and going the opposite direction.

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_Is it just me or have I made Sky and Jack a lot more hostile towards each other than they actually ever were? Oh well writing their fights is, if truth be told, really fun! I enjoy coming up with new ways for Jack to insult Sky and how Sky just bluntly says things to piss off Jack. Too bad that may have been their last fight…ever! Oh crap…I think I just gave away too much! Coming up - WHO exactly is next?!_

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	10. Chapter 10

_I'm afraid! Afraid that none of you will like me after this! Just remember it's all the Tate Twins fault! They challenged me to write a Halloween themed story! (even if I did get a little carried away with it…and went outside of the ratings guideline…and well…you'll see) And what's more Halloween then a horror movie? _

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_Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. In fact I'm pretty sure that there is a restraining order out there for me and Matt Austin…or was it Chris Violette? I can never remember! I tried to stalk them both equally._

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Jack continued to walk purposefully down the hallway until he was sure that Sky did exactly what he was sure Sky would do: Go the other way. Once he was satisfied with the distance between him and the overzealous, egotistical, arrogant, aggravating, self-righteous, demeaning, pompous, sanctimonious, pretentious, infuriating…Jack was a veritable thesaurus of words to describe the loathing he felt towards Schuyler Tate at this moment. Sighing loudly he threw his back against the wall and allowed his body to sink slowly to the floor.

"Stupid Sky for being an asshole."

"Stupid Cruger for getting killed."

"Stupid Z for wanting to come here in the first place.

Setting his costume sunglasses aside he rested his head on his knees and allowed himself a few more minutes of pity. Jack then stood up realizing that if he didn't stop wallowing and do something he was liable to start sounding like Sky. That being the last thing in the world he wanted Jack continued down the corridor towards the gym. Just then a flash of color caught his eye. Jack turned, calling out.

"All cadets should be in their dorms on lockdown."

There was no sound but this time the color dashed right across the hallway. It was blue, bright Sky blue. Jack knew exactly what it had to be. Kicked into gear Jack went running towards the offending color. Following the sound of the footsteps and the occasional glimpse of the suit, Jack realized he was being led into the locker room area of the gym. Bursting into the men's locker room Jack bellowed out.

"You know if you just turned yourself in, confessed to it all, they might just take it easier on you."

A sinister laugh was his only response as he poked his head down the aisles of lockers.

"Not that I actually plan on taking it any easier on you after what you did to Syd, but you know it's a thought."

More laughter.

"Why us? What did we ever do to you?" Jack demanded. Coming up to the last row of lockers. And there stood the Blue Ranger casually leaning against the wall.

"Typical Jack." The voice from behind the helmet addressed him. "Between you and Sky I'm not really sure whose worse." The voice jeered. "You guys are so much alike in your narcissism it's disgusting."

Jack could feel his muscles tremble in anticipation of the attack. Taking the radio out of his back pocket he set it on the bench beside him.

"So what are you going to do now Jack?" the voice questioned. "Shoot first, ask questions later?"

"That's exactly what I was planning." Jack charged full speed between the lockers. The Blue Ranger continued to lounge against the wall. _Not right, something's not right!_ Jack's brain was screaming at him but his fury was drowning out the noise right up until his foot slipped and he fell to the ground, his momentum carrying him swiftly towards the wall. The floor was covered in some sort of wax or oil, Jack wasn't sure, but the last thing he saw was the Blue Ranger waving merrily as he passed. And then through his own instincts, instead of letting himself hit the wall, Jack raised his arms to block his face and then phased right on through.

The cool night air hit his skin and pulled Jack back to his rational mind just in time to realize he had slid through an outside wall and was now 20 floors above the street and falling fast. Jack turned his body in mid-air and only had time to think one thing before the concrete came rushing up to meet him.

"Oh shit."

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"I think this is the last of the classrooms on this floor." Bridge commented.

"And still nothing!" Z was getting frustrated. She hated standing back, doing nothing, but that's exactly what she felt like she was doing. Whipping around she landed an exasperated punch to the wall creating a small dent and bruising her knuckles.

"OW!"

Bridge came running to her side. Gingerly he lifted her hand in his.

"Why did you do that?" He asked tenderly.

"I don't know, " she admitted. "Because it seemed like a good idea at the time?" A soft smile passed by her lips.

"Well I don't know how slamming your fist against a wall can seem like a good idea but I guess I'm probably not the expert." The laughter was hesitant and a bit guilty.

"I feel useless Bridge," she looked up at him, her dark brown eyes shining with tears," like I'm standing here while that psycho is out hurting more of my friends! I feel like there is more that I could be doing, **should** be doing!" Bridge wasn't sure how to respond to that. So instead he gathered her in his arms and held her close while she let some of her fears and frustrations flow forth. Eventually the sobbing came to an end and she looked back up at him her eyes now slightly red and puffy.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah."

They stood there wrapped around each other in silence. Bridge lifted up his hand and cupped her face; using his thumb he rubbed away the last of the tears. When he went to draw his hand away, Z quickly reached up and held it there, pressing her face into the soft leather.

"Don't leave me." She whispered.

"I wont." He whispered back while drawing her face closer to his.

"_So what are you going to do now Jack_?"

The pair pulled away from each other their lips still unsatisfied.

"Who was that?" Z asked Bridge.

"I have no idea." He pulled the radio from his back pocket just to have it quickly snatched away.

"_Shoot first ask questions later_?" the unfamiliar voice jeered.

"_That's exactly what I was planning_!" Z heard Jacks voice and knew that he was about to do something stupid.

"Jack?" Z called on the radio frantically. "Jack what's going on?" There was still no response.

"Okay Jack this isn't funny." Z's voice was filled with the dread that was rapidly spreading through her system. Gently Bridge took the radio away from her now trembling fingers.

"Jack it's Bridge, is everything okay?"

"_I'm sorry Jack had to step out for a bit._"

"NOOOOO!!!" Z screamed and grabbed the radio away from Bridge. "What have you done with him you BASTARD!? I swear to god when I find you your DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?! YOUR FUCKING DEAD!" Z tore out of the room and started running madly down the hall in the direction she last knew Jack and Sky to be going. Bridge scurried to keep with her.

"Z slow down!"

"NO." she yelled without turning.

"Z wait!"

"NO." she continued on her chaotic pace turning the corner and nearly falling over.

"Z! CALM DOWN FOR TWO SECONDS PLEASE!" The frighteningly severe tone of Bridges voice was enough to stop her in her tracks.

"What?" she asked gravely.

"It won't do us or anyone else any good to go running in without thinking."

"I don't care." She glared at him defiantly.

"Well I do." He returned her glare and it sent shivers down her spine. Bridge was always the happy go lucky one. He always had a smile and an innocent nature about him. To hear him be so stern and so forceful was disturbing to say the least.

"So then what? Huh? What do we do now?" She threw her hands up in the air and let them hit her thighs with a loud smack.

"Together we go and we find Jack and Sky. After that I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up anymore. I mean isn't that the first rule in surviving a horror movie? Never split up?"

Z knew he was right but it went back to her hating when people pointed out the obvious. Grudgingly she accepted his outstretched hand and together they followed the color trail left by Sky and Jack. Not to far away from where they had started out in the beginning Bridge stopped.

"Something happened here…" he let go of her hand and removed his other glove. Now holding both hands out in front of him Bridge concentrated hard on the fading imprints of his friends.

"They got into a fight."

"Figures." She huffed.

"No…a big one…they…dammit!" He glared at the psychic trails each leading in opposite directions.

"Bridge!" Z looked at him incredulously. "You never curse!"

"Yeah well I guess there's a first time for everything." Bridge shook as head while he tugged the leather back over his fingers. "They went their separate ways."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Sky went that way and Jack went that way." He crossed his arms and pointed down the two different directions. Not that he expected an answer, after the way things were going tonight, but he decided to try anyway. Pulling out the radio Bridge attempted to hail Sky.

"Sky? Are you there?"

Nothing.

"Sky? We're going to find Jack pick up please!"

"Let's go!" She grabbed his wrist, causing him to drop the radio, and began dragging him in the direction that Jack had gone.

"But what about Sky?" Bridge glanced down the path that his best friend had taken.

"He's the strongest fighter out of all of us he'll be fine! We've got to go save Jack!" She tugged at his arm more urgently. Bridge looked at her and saw the desperation in her eyes.

"Okay but we're coming back for Sky."

"Of course. Now come on!"

Bridge gave one more nervous glimpse down the hallway before letting himself be pulled away on a rescue mission he was afraid was already too late.

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Sky was regretting his choice in costume attire more with every step. The stupid dress shoes that went with his tux were more then just uncomfortable they were downright unbearable. But as Syd would say there is no price too high to pay for fashion. His brief smile at the petite blonds obsession with getting dressed up and all the things that went with it was quickly replaced by the all too familiar frown he had become known for. He would never get to hear her complain about his sense of style or lack there of again.

Sky continued his trek down to the simulator rooms. He would check these and then close them off and move on to the next floor. He wasn't naïve enough to think that they would actually find the killer. More than likely, with the message written on the mirror the killer would find them. But how? How was the killer able to figure out exactly where they all were? The radios maybe…? Sky wasn't the mechanical genius that Bridge was. All he ever needed to know was how to operate it enough to get it to do what he wanted. After that it was all just a bunch of wires and computer chips and what have you. But he figured that maybe someone could track their progression through the base using the signals from the radios. It's why he decided to turn his off. There was no need to talk to any of the others. When he was sure this area was clear he would turn it back on and let them know. Plus he wanted to be alone, as was the Tate way apparently.

Lost in his own thoughts Sky almost missed the noise coming from the room to his left. Now alert Sky wished more then anything he had not left without his blaster, it was stupid of him to be so unprepared.

"Some boy scout you are." He mumbled to himself. Searching his surroundings for some sort of weapon, he finally accepted that he was the only weapon around. Quietly he made his way into the simulator room, it's large blank walls suddenly feeling so much more claustrophobic then before.

"It's not like there is anywhere to hide in here." He stated loudly. His grimace deepened when the simulation started up and he found himself in an abandoned warehouse.

"Ok so now there is." It's not like he wasn't trained for this…5 years in the academy and he should be able to handle one-person right?

A flash of red entered in his vision and he immediately turned and followed it. The shoes he was wearing were making his feet scream in pain but ignoring it he ran after what he was sure was the Red Ranger. His chase ended in a dead end.

"Duh Tate. This is a simulation. There doesn't even really have to be anyone in here."

"That much your right about." A voice came through the illusion. "However as you should know all of the danger can be quite real."

Sky pitched forward landing on his knees when a force from behind blindsided him. Not being one to go down easy he jumped up turning as he did and erected a shield in front of him in anticipation of the next blow. His attacker was blown backwards when their fist came in contact with his shield.

"Then you should know that I'm not going to be that easy." The scene changed and he was now in what look to be a rock quarry. Judging from the large slabs of white rock stacked to his right it was a marble quarry.

"Now Sky I know that you don't take particular interest in the way things work so long as the **do** work, but did you know that when programmed correctly the simulations in this room can actually be deadly?"

"Can we stop playing this game of who knows what? If you want me come and get me." The Red Ranger appeared before him.

"If that's what you want."

"Not only is it what I want it's what I'll get, us Tate's always get our way." Sky tried keeping the banter up while he formulated a plan. Right now the plan consisted of circling the Red Ranger waiting for him to make his move.

"If that's the case then why weren't you made the Red Ranger? Why was it given to that trash off the street?" The nameless voice taunted. Sky tried his best to keep his temper in check, now was not the time.

"Well I figure Cruger had his reasons for everything."

"He did, didn't he? Too bad we'll never know what those reasons were." Sky wished now that he hadn't turned off his radio, he could use the backup, but couldn't risk being so obvious about calling for it.

"Enough pointless chitchat though! You've finally made your way exactly where I want you." Sky side glanced without taking his eyes completely off the Red Ranger in front of him and realized he had managed to back himself up to the quarry's edge. It was about a 15 foot drop, survivable, he assessed, but not enjoyable.

"So now what? Your going to push me off the edge and hope I don't survive?" Sky sneered.

"Odds are with today's advancements in medicine you would. Why take the chance?" The Red Ranger walked over to the stack of marble slabs and using all of the strength that the Red Ranger power could afford picked up the top slab and chucked it at Sky.

"Catch!"

Sky threw up a force field but the force of the marble hitting it caused him to take a few steps back. He could not hold his balance and went tumbling over the quarries edge the slab of marble following. The Red Ranger walked over to cliff and peered down. The marble was down there but underneath there was a faint glowing blue light.

"See! I knew the fall wouldn't kill you! But one of the things I don't know is just how long can you keep up that nifty shield of yours?" I mean that thing must weigh what? A ton? Maybe more? I wonder what that will do to your body when it finally comes crashing down? "

Sky could not respond, all of his energy and concentration going towards keeping his shield in tact.

"Oh well I guess we'll find out pretty soon here huh? Have fun!"

With that the Red Ranger exited the simulation.

_Way to go Tate…done in by your own stubborn pride. Figures._

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Bridge could barely keep up with the French maid in front of him. _And in heels no less!_

"Come on Bridge! We have to hurry!" Z yelled at him over her shoulder. Bridge didn't have the heart to tell her he was pretty sure it wouldn't matter when they got there what they were going to find wasn't going to be any more pretty. Not only were they following Jacks trail but Bridge sensed the Blue Ranger power going the exact same way. The only thing he couldn't tell was who had gotten there first. Finally they came to a stop in front of the men's locker room.

"Z wait!" Bridge stopped her with her hand on the door.

"What?" she looked at him exasperated.

"You can't go in there its the men's room." He answered sheepishly. Z rolled her eyes at her teammate.

"Bridge tell me your kidding! There's no one here but us! And even if there was it's not like it's nothing I haven't seen before!" Ignoring his modesty she pulled the door open and brazenly walked inside.

"Jack!" she called for him urgently her voice echoing off the tile. "Jack! It's us where are you?" She made her way down to the last row of lockers only to find Jacks radio still sitting on the bench. Picking up she clasped it to her chest and turned to her companion.

"Bridge?" she looked at him pleadingly. As much as he didn't want to Bridge yet again removed his glove and swept the area. Confused by what he saw he did another sweep. It still didn't quite make sense. Then suddenly it dawned on him.

"Z what's on the other side of that wall?"

"Castlegate drive? Why?" she answered nervously.

"Because Jacks aura stops at the wall." They locked eyes in realization and ran inside the actual gym to the nearest window to the outside.

"I can't see that far over! Doesn't this thing open?!" Z beat at the window furiously.

"I don't think it does…Z? What are you doing with that barbell…? Z?" She had abandoned her fists and was going for something much heavier.

"Stand back." She warned as two of her hefted a barbell, loaded down with every weight she could find, out the window. The glass shattered and they heard the fantastic clank as the barbell met with the street below. Ignoring the tiny shards still left around the windows edge Z craned her neck out to see the gruesome site below. Quickly she pulled herself back inside falling to the floor weeping. Bridge didn't want to look but he knew he had to. Sticking his own head out the window he looked down to see Jacks body broken against the pavement a large pool of blood congealing underneath him.

"Z, I'm sorry." He tried to comfort her.

"He was the only family I had."

"Z, we need to get going."

"When I find whoever did this…"

"Z we need to find Sky, I have this really bad feeling…" She looked up at him with a tear stained face.

"Your right." She raised herself off the floor and straightened her skirt. "Lets go get this bastard."

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_WTFO!? First Cruger, then Syd, then Jack and Sky?! What is this fic coming too?! I'm not sure…all I know is that Z and Bridge better watch their asses, because if it hasn't become obvious by now, I hold nothing scared. (at least not in this story!) _

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	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you to everyone who is still reading this fic up to this point! I really figured I lost most of you when I killed Syd, and that I may have lost the rest of you when I killed Jack! But if that didn't make you want to quit reading well then this just may! Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Oh and thanx to NDY who helped me with his twisted ideas! (evil glint in eye)_

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_Disclaimer: The other day I opened up a box of cereal and the prize inside said that I had won the rights to the Power Rangers! It turned out the contest had ended three years ago. Stupid discount stores and their outdated merchandise!_

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Z had finally ditched the heels and now ran barefoot and full speed with Bridge down to the simulator room.

"Are you sure this is the way?" she asked.

Bridge ran with his bare hand out in front of him following the trail of his best friend. No one could ever quite understand just why him and Sky had bonded so well. Him being goofy and roundabout, Sky being straight-laced and straightforward, it proved that opposites attract. Bridge couldn't really explain it either but it worked and well. Sky was always there for him helping him to become a better ranger criticizing him in the way that Bridge knew meant he cared he just hated to say so and Bridge was always there for him knowing when something was wrong and always seemingly knowing what to do about it without actually having to ask and causing Sky to share his feelings (something he had never been good at).

"I'm positive." Bridge said confidently, he felt both Sky and the Red Ranger come this way. "Although since only fools are positive then maybe I'm certain, but if I was certain, which is only a synonym for positive then I guess I'd still be a fool." His ramble came to an end. "We're here."

The pair had come to a stop in front of one of the simulator room doors. Above the door the light burned red indicating that there was a simulation in progress.

"He's in there." Bridge noted solemnly. "And we can't get in." Z glanced over at the control panel and saw the wires sticking out.

"Is he still…?" she didn't want to say alive but didn't want to ask if he was dead either.

"I don't know, I can't read through the door." Bridge stared at the door frustrated with himself.

"Well what do you feel?" She touched his arm tenderly. Bridge closed his eyes and let his mind reach out to his best friend. Suddenly his eyes shot open.

"Come on!" Without explanation Bridge grabbed Z by the arm and dragged her into the control center for the simulator rooms. Inside was an observation window to each room and the master control panel.

"Bridge what's going on?" she asked but then she looked down into the one room that was active and there laying underneath a giant slab of marble was a man surrounded by a bright blue light that held the marble mere inches from his face. From the looks of things he had been there for a while and would probably not be able to keep it up much longer.

"Oh my God SKY!" she turned to Bridge who was already working on the computer. "Bridge can't you turn it off?"

"I'm trying." He grunted. "The safety's been disabled."

"Hold on, it's just a simulation. I mean it can't really kill him…right?" There was no answer from Bridge. "Wait one god-damn minute you mean these things **can **kill you!" she stared at him in disbelief. "Who the hell creates a training program that can **KILL YOU**!? Oh but it's okay don't worry we'll just put a safety on it so that it wont! How about you make it so that it can't to begin with!" Z raved to the room in general.

"Hey Z, I really need to concentrate." Bridge was now underneath the control panel digging around inside.

"Sorry." Z stood there feeling useless again. Bridge's legs were sticking out from underneath the counter and ever so often she would hear mumbled curses.

"stupid gloves can't do anything…Here Z hold these." His leather gloves were suddenly thrust into her hands. Z laid them carefully on the counter and then turned to watch Sky inside the illusion.

"Uh Bridge…"

"If you cross the red with the blue…or was it green?"

"Bridge…"

"Maybe it was purple…

"Bridge you need to hurry."

"What the heck is **that** doing in here?"

"Bridge I don't think he can hold on much longer."

Bridge poked his head out from under the control panel and looked down into the room. Sky was loosing steam. The sweat was pouring from his brow and his eyes were starting to roll back into his head. Z got on over the intercom.

"Sky its Z! Hold on! Bridge has got it all figured out okay? We'll get you out of there." Sky turned to the sound of his friends voice and made his best attempt to nod in acknowledgment. Turning to look down at Bridge who had returned to work she asked.

"You **do** have it all figured out right…?" Bridge said nothing.

"Shit."

Minutes passed by with Bridge furiously working underneath the panel and Z watching Sky intently.

"Z?" Sky's strained voice broke through silence.

"Yeah Sky what is it?" Bridge was too distracted on the problem in front of him to hear his friends. Whoever had messed with this had known exactly what they were doing, Bridge would be lucky to figure this out in a week much less the next five minutes.

"I never really hated you, you know that right? I just hated the fact that you and Jack came off the streets and were put on the same squad that I had trained for years to get to."

"Sky don't do this."

"But you guys deserve it. You're good Delgado don't let anyone tell you different."

"Sky no…"

"Tell Jack I'm sorry."

"Sky please…" She didn't have it in her to tell him Jack was already gone.

"Take care of Bridge for me okay? He loves you."

"Sky, you can do this! Hold on!"

"Z, I don't have any energy left, I've been here for the last half hour."

"Oh god…Sky." Z looked down and kicked Bridge in the leg to get his attention. "Bridge! How much longer?"

"I've almost…"

In the background there was a loud thud followed by a sickening squish.

"GOT IT!" Bridge jumped up triumphantly pressing buttons and powering down the simulation. He turned to Z with a wide grin that quickly dissipated when he saw the despondent look on her face.

"Z what…?" He turned to the window and saw a small room empty except for one man, lying on the floor, blood oozing from every orifice.

"**SKY**!"

"Bridge let's get out of here!" She picked up his gloves and grabbed a hold of his arm.

"No I can't leave him!" Bridge cried, pulling his arm back.

"Bridge we're next! We've got to get out of here!"

"But he needs me!" Z grabbed Bridge roughly by the chin and forced him to look at her instead of the horrific sight inside the room.

"I need you." She declared. Bridge nodded and reluctantly let himself be led from the control room and what remained of his best friend.

-

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Somberly the pair made their way down to their quarters keeping an eye out for anything that might indicate another attack.

"Whoever this is," Bridge speculated, "Has already used the Red, Blue, and Yellow power. Which means, that if I'm right, we have to be on the lookout for the Pink and Green."

"Have you been able to sense anything underneath the Ranger power?" she asked.

"Not really but there's this…familiarity underneath it all that I just can't quite place." The feeling had been bothering Bridge the whole time, like he knew who was doing this he just couldn't seem to move the haze in order to see who it was.

"Well what we need is to get back to our rooms. We need to change and get our blasters so that we at least have something." Bridge agreed. His fake leather pants were beginning to chafe.

Together they arrived at the girl's room. After a quick scan to make sure no one but them was there, the two of them walked in locking the door behind them. Bridge watched as Z dug through her closet and produced her yellow SPD uniform and began to change.

"Uh…Bridge turn around please." She noticed that he was still there staring but not really at her, more off to the left and far far away. Suddenly he walked over to the wall and flipped himself upside down.

"Bridge?"

He stood there on his hands, eyes closed, lips moving in silent deliberation. When his eyes snapped open, he fluidly moved himself back into the upright position and turned to her excitedly.

"What was it that Boom had said back in the commanders study?" he asked, as though he were the teacher asking a student.

"That our morphers were stolen?" she looked at him confused as to where this was going.

"Yes! But from where?" he urged her on.

"From…I don't remember."

"From our rooms! He said they were stolen from our rooms!" He looked at her expectantly waiting for the epiphany. Moments passed while Z worked it out in her overly taxed brain.

"That means…" she answered slowly wanting to make sure she got it right. "That whoever stole our morphers had to come into our rooms…which means that if they were in here…" Her eyes lit up with understanding, "You'd be able to see the psychic trail they left and we'd know who we were up against!"

"YES!" Bridge grabbed her around the waist hugging her to him and twirling them both around the room.

"Oh damn…" Z cut short the celebration.

"What?" Bridge set her down but did not let go.

"Me and Syd? We didn't leave them in our room."

"Where did you leave them…?"

"In your room, we didn't want Boom snooping around in ours." She swiftly became distracted by the floor.

_Of course nothing could be that easy._ He thought to himself.

"That's okay, no problem, I'll just go over there, quick scan, be right back."

"No Bridge. Remember what you said? We should stick together!" Her eyes shot back up to his face.

"But I'd rather have you here where I know the killer isn't then take you with me to where I know the killer might be." He rationalized.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me!" Her face filled with anxiety.

"Z, I also promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I can't keep them both."

"Yes you can, take me with you! I'm not helpless!" Z's anger was now bubbling to the surface.

"Z…" he pulled her closer and cupped her face. "If anything happened to you I couldn't live with myself and then what? We'd both be dead. So please just stay here, I'll be right back, I promise." He pleaded with her.

"But you just said that you couldn't keep all of your prom…" her words were cut short when his lips came crashing down on hers. Finally. Possessively his hands gripped her body pressing it firm against his. Her only response was to loose herself in his taste. At last he pulled away.

"Any man who wouldn't come back to **that** would be an idiot." He said breathlessly. Reluctantly she let him go. Almost to the door Bridge turned when he heard his name and found his arms suddenly full of Z. Tangling her fingers in his disheveled hair she yanked him down to her eager lips and kissed him passionately one last time.

"Don't be an idiot, okay?" she whispered

"I won't." He assured, and then walked out the door locking it behind him.

Z wandered over to her lost roommates side of the room and picked up Peanuts. Hugging the stuffed elephant to her chest for comfort she then sat on her own bed and waited for her protector to return.

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Bridge walked hesitantly across the common room keeping his mind alert for anything…off. It was nearing mid-night and the base was dark except for the glowing video game screens casting eerie shadows across the room.

_Go in, quick scan, back to Z. Go in, quick scan, back to Z. Go in, quick scan, back to Z._ It was the mantra that kept him until he got to his door. Immediately he knew there was something wrong. When he opened the door no less than three inches of water came pouring out._ That's weird I don't think I left the water on._ Bridge walked into his room water sloshing around his boots with every step. Looking around the room his eyes began to prick with tears. _No more late night conversations, no more kidding around, no more Sky._ Bridge made a mental note to come back after everything and get the Red Ranger helmet that belonged to Sky's father. His heart broke a little more when he realized he would have to hand both that and Sky's Blue Ranger helmet over to his mother. Bridge was brought back from his thoughts when he felt something bump into his left foot. Bending down he found his bath book, a symbol of his innocence now lost, floating across the sodden floor. As he reached down to grab it he was pushed the rest of the way from behind and landed face first in the water.

"You just really are that gullible, aren't you Bridge?" The menacing voice from behind him laughed.

Quickly Bridge began to tug at the wet leather on his hands.

"I don't know what you think your trying to do…" The Pink Ranger stood above him. "Going to find out who I am?"

"Dude you're not even a girl!" Bridge pointed to the wrong bulge in the wrong place in the pink spandex.

"You're right I'm not." Bridges cry for help was strangled when the Pink Ranger picked him up by the collar and forcibly dragged him over to his nightstand. Struggling with his gloves the whole time Bridge finally managed to free his right hand. Tossing the soggy leather aside he grabbed the Pink Rangers arm with his bare fingers. His eyes widened in horror with the realization of who was behind the helmet.

"But why?" he stuttered in shock.

"Why? You ask me WHY?" The decidedly male voice became infuriated. "All I ever wanted was to be part of the gang! Play light-ball, go to the park for a picnic, be invited to parties! Just to hang out with the high and mighty Power Rangers! But NO! Ever since you all made B squad, suddenly you didn't have time for me! Were all too good for me! Even you Bridge! When Cruger let those two thieves in off the street suddenly you didn't care if your new subscription of Extreme Upgrade was in, you didn't care about having time to connect the waffle iron to the toaster to the mainframe! You just cared about HER"

"I'm sorry!" Bridge tried to apologize while his mind raced wildly.

"Me too Bridge. I didn't really want to have to kill you. But if one goes you all have to go! After all you guys do everything as a team, right?" The Pink Ranger grabbed Bridges ungloved hand and shoved it into his toaster, Maureen.

"Now, knowing you Bridge, this toaster probably has far more power then any normal toaster needs. And with all the water on the floor all I have to do is push down that little black button and well…I'm sure it's how you would have wanted to go." Before the button was pushed the Pink Ranger powered down.

"Five rangers down," Boom smiled at him psychotically, "One to go…"

"NOOOOOOO!" Bridge screamed, but there was nothing he could do his hand was firmly stuck inside Maureen and Boom had already morphed into the Green Ranger.

"Good-bye Bridge." Pushing down on the little black button the Green Ranger ran from the room while Bridge met the same fate as every piece of bread he had ever put into his beloved toaster.

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Z sat there clutching Peanuts when the lights began to flicker and then power down completely. The room washed over in the orangey tint of the floodlights and her heart started racing.

"I said don't be an idiot." She whispered to herself. Coming to the decision that she had had enough sitting on the sidelines Z got up from her bed, unlocked the door, and went out into the common room, relocking the door behind her.

"Bridge?" she tentatively called out for him.

What she found though was the Green Ranger standing between her and the door to the boys' room.

"It's all over Z. I got him."

Z knew that the helmets distorted their voices a bit but the Green Ranger before her didn't even sound remotely like Bridge.

"Who are you?" She stated looking around the Green Ranger into the boys' room. Inside she saw a charred body with its hand in Bridges toaster. _That must have been what caused the power outage_. Running towards the room the Green Ranger let her pass but did not allow her into the room.

"What did you do to him?!" She screamed.

"Z, I don't know what your talking about. It's me Bridge. I fought the killer and got my morpher back."

"You're lying!" she screamed again. Looking down she saw Bridges glove floating in the water with his bath book. Turning she reached down and grabbed the water logged glove and clutched it to her chest while the tears streamed down her face.

"What did you do to him?" she asked again her voice filled with anguish.

"The same thing I'm going to do to you." The Green Ranger pulled out his delta-max striker and took aim. Slowly Z rose from her position on the floor and turned to face the Green Ranger.

"You're the last one." He said triumphantly before pulling the trigger and blowing a smoking hole through her chest. Z's lifeless body fell splashing in the water as Boom powered down.

"Take that Gruumm!" he crowed. "I have single handedly taken down the Power Rangers!" Just then he heard a soft whoosh behind him.

"You forgot Boom, there's more than one of **me**."

Boom stared at the specter in front of him and then turned to where he thought it should be. But instead of Z's dead body all he saw was Bridges glove floating in the murky water. With a small yelp he turned and ran for it, multiple Z's on his tail.

The chase led them all the way to the testing lab, Boom's second home.

"You can't out run us Boom!" the Z's called out taunting him. Running through the lab one of the Z's noticed why through everything they hadn't heard from the perpetual Kat. Her body swung lifeless above the floor suspended from what looked to be a leash and collar.

"Your sick Boom!" She bellowed. "And you're fucking dead!"

"Oh yeah?"

A hot beam rushed past her head and hit one of her replicates between the eyes. Crashing to the floor she quickly disappeared.

"I think you're the one who's dead." Boom stood there in the opening to the experimental armory. Strapped to his waist and arm was an enormous laser gun, which he was using to randomly take out the army of Z's.

"First you have to find the real me." Z called out to him in unison. Every time Boom would take one out, another one would take its place. Z was spreading herself thin and she knew it, with every one that died she could feel herself become weaker. She just had to keep him distracted long enough to get behind him and get into the armory. There was bound to be something in there she could use. Quietly she slipped through her own ranks being brought down ruthlessly and bloodlessly.

"That thing's going to run out of power eventually Boom and then what?" she spread her words out between multiple replicates to keep him occupied. Every one that spoke was blasted away.

"I've got other toys!" He threatened, but Z could see the nervousness on his face. It was only a matter of time before Boom did something that was…well Boom. Her opportunity came when the gun on his hip did finally run out of power. And good thing, he had gone through so many replicates Z could no longer make anymore and was just barely holding on to the ones she had left. Clumsily he tried to un-strap the enormous firearm and in that time the real Z slipped in behind him. Her replicates continued to come at him. Pulling out a small blaster he was shooting them at close range when he felt something come up behind him yanking his hair violently backwards.

"Well Boom I guess this is it." She spoke quietly and deliberately.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean too! I only wanted to be part of the gang!" He began to plead for his life.

"Sorry's aren't going to bring my friends back Boom." Bringing her hand into his field of vision she showed him the device that she had selected from the armory behind them, held in her leather-clad hand.

"That's one of the nova grenades." He stuttered.

"I know."

"You'll blow us both to next Tuesday!"

"I know."

"You're the one who's crazy!"

"No Boom I'm the one who's had everything stolen away from her."

"You wont survive! Half the base will be blown away."

"There are no dormitories on this half anyway."

"You can't! You wouldn't!"

"Time to go **BOOM**."

Wearing the glove that had been Bridge's Z released her hold on the grenade and Boom, smiling as he ran to escape the blast that would engulf them both.

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_Now I'm sure that you're all just a little more then pissed at me right now…and I wouldn't blame you! I JUST KILLED ALL THE POWER RANGERS! And I had far too much fun doing it. Why? Again I respond: Not because I don't like the gang at SPD (ok so maybe I was a little too giddy while killing off Syd) Because I do! You know I do! I did it because I could…I mean isn't that the whole point of this website?_

_So is that it! Is that how it really ends?! Did I really kill ALL of the Power Rangers? (evil grin) I guess you'll just have to check back and make sure wont you? (evil laugh)_

_HOWEVER…if you liked my little horror fic I would love to know about it! Just push that little purple button in the corner and remember that reviews ARE love! Also I would like to take a little vote…whose death did you like the most? (because you wouldn't believe how long it took me to come up with good ways to kill them all and incorporate their powers!) Okay I'm starting to ramble and I need to stop…so remember PURPLE BUTTON! Let me feel the love! Or the hate whichever! (I think I might actually be disappointed if at least one person doesn't completely flame me.)_


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